Mites?

[Faded Intimacy]

I just just out with the chicken and while walking back in I noticed a little red bug crawling up my arm(VERY. tiny). Knocked it off.. but Now I'm worried she might have mites or something. She's been loosing or her feathers have looked really rough recently too.
She has dirt and stuff to 'bathe' in.. I dont understand?

 

[Love my Critters!]

Yep,
Sounds like chicken mites! Thats how I found out mine had them, go back to the chicken, pick it up and look by the vent. There is usually a cluster of white eggs from the mites right around the vent area. Also you will probably see some crawling on the chicken. I dusted mine with 7 and again 1 week later. I also dusted their coop and bedding with DE and have not had any problems since. Go check it out and let us know. Good luck.

 

[Faded Intimacy]

I cant pick her up, but I definetly do see them on her.

What should I do?

She's losing feathers?
Im also super paranoid they're in my hair now!

 

[spatcher]

If you put Sevin on your chickens you cannot eat any eggs for a week or two! If you need DE let me know.

 

[Faded Intimacy]

I only have one little one thats a rescue, she hasnt laid any eggs yet.

I definetly need some! I'm looking around right now at Perma-guard DE? From My Pet Chicken?

 

[dirtdoctor]

Ok i know about D. E. But can someone give me soild facts why you cant use the POOL GRADE D. E. ?

I have used it around my bees for the ant problem and the birds that find it dont seem to mind either...

MY birds free range and they get babyflys (maggots) so as far as some ppl thinking that only organic feed, or only special mixtures of oatmeal , yougurt and bran with flax chipped into the food is good enough for their birds... and they wont feed their babies anything but the high dollar human food....etc....

I want to know if their is any NON SUBJECTIVE factual evidence that the pool filter grade D. E. is bad. and why.....

thanks
Jack dirtdoctor

 

[spatcher]

Here goes! The non-food DE has a crystalline silica content of roughly 65%. This is the harmful ingredient than can literally destroy your lungs. Food Grade DE must have a crystalline content of less than 3% to be considered food grade. PermaGuard Food Grade DE has a crystalline silica content of less than one half of one percent and is FDA Approved. If you can find it, get PermaGuard!