Multiple chickens shaking heads

[cindy99]

Hi. My oldest girls are about 2 years old and youngest 1 year - Buff Orpingtons and Barred Rocks. They are shaking their heads almost nonstop. About 2 months ago I treated all of the chickens (even the barred rocks that aren't shaking their heads) with pour on ivermectin (I also did the re-treat 10 days later)- I cleaned coop and dusted for mites. The head shaking stopped a little but now it is right back! I feel so bad for them.

They have straw in part of their outside pen - it is under a roof and dry. Could the mites be living in the straw?

This weekend I will clean out the coop again - fresh pine shavings and mite dust. I will also get rid of all straw.

Any advice or help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

Cindy

 

[TATTOOJOSH]

after you give your coop a good cleaning and lay down new pine shavings get yourself some diatomaceous earth or DE for short. get a food grade DE and sprinkle that all over the coop. it will help naturally reduce all types of bugs. and you can even mix it in the chickens food as it is safe for them to eat to get rid of worms, and you can dust them with it to help get rid of mites. MAKE SURE ITS FOOD GRADE DE. the stuff for pools is heat treated and not safe for consumption. mites can and will live anywhere and everywhere.

 

[dawg53]

after you give your coop a good cleaning and lay down new pine shavings get yourself some diatomaceous earth or DE for short. get a food grade DE and sprinkle that all over the coop. it will help naturally reduce all types of bugs. and you can even mix it in the chickens food as it is safe for them to eat to get rid of worms, and you can dust them with it to help get rid of mites. MAKE SURE ITS FOOD GRADE DE. the stuff for pools is heat treated and not safe for consumption. mites can and will live anywhere and everywhere.

DE does not get rid of worms inside a chicken.

 

[dawg53]

Hi. My oldest girls are about 2 years old and youngest 1 year - Buff Orpingtons and Barred Rocks. They are shaking their heads almost nonstop. About 2 months ago I treated all of the chickens (even the barred rocks that aren't shaking their heads) with pour on ivermectin (I also did the re-treat 10 days later)- I cleaned coop and dusted for mites. The head shaking stopped a little but now it is right back! I feel so bad for them.

They have straw in part of their outside pen - it is under a roof and dry. Could the mites be living in the straw?

This weekend I will clean out the coop again - fresh pine shavings and mite dust. I will also get rid of all straw.

Any advice or help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

Cindy

Head shaking can be a sign of a respiratory disease, but you didnt mention any other symptoms. Head shaking can also be due to ear mites. A few drops of vegetable oil in the ears will smother mites, but I dont believe that's what happening with your birds. I believe it's an environmental problem as you mentioned or possibly gnats bothering them to cause head shaking. Ammonia fumes from soiled bedding can cause it as well. Other factors could be pollen, pesticides in the soil etc...The dust you used could cause head shaking.