My chicken keeps shaking it’s head frequently

[Blazen]

Hello! My 6 month old brown leghorn rooster started shaking his head rapidly for the past week or so. I’m thinking it may be ear mites or something. He’s the only one that’s been doing this. Can you tell me what could be wrong and how I would be able to cure him?

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

Ear mites. Get diatemaceous earth and put it around their ears.

 

[Blazen]

Ear mites. Get diatemaceous earth and put it around their ears.

Thank you! I was thinking it’s ear mites and I dust the coop and run every month or so with DE. I’ll try putting it around his ears

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

Thank you! I was thinking it’s ear mites and I dust the coop and run every month or so with DE. I’ll try putting it around his ears

You want to treat it ASAP. I waited too long and my roo is still struggling. With you doing DE so frequently it shouldn't be bad but I would do it quickly so it doesn't get worse.

 

[Isaac 0]

It seems like common sense, but you would not want to put a powder in his ear; that could exacerbate the problem. DE is not effective for treating ectoparasites anyway. Try examining him over, and see if mites/lice are the problem. If you don't see any ectoparasites, check the ears well, and look for signs of gunk, indicating ear canker, or bacterial infection.

If you see mites/lice, you can buy a permethrin-livestock spray, dilute down with water per directions. and spray around under the feathers, around his neck, underwings, and near the vent. If you see any by the ear, you soak a cotton swab with dilute permethrin, and swab around there, not getting inside the ear. It's likely the hens are harboring a small number of mites too, so do the same process with them. The coop will need to be sprayed and cleaned too. Repeat in seven-ten days.

 

[ChloeSilkie08]

It seems like common sense, but you would not want to put a powder in his ear; that could exacerbate the problem. DE is not effective for treating ectoparasites anyway. Try examining him over, and see if mites are the problem. If you don't see any ectoparasites, check the ears well, and look for signs of gunk, indicating ear canker, or bacterial infection.

If you see mites, you can buy a permethrin-livestock spray, dilute down with water per directions. and spray around under the feathers, around his neck, underwings, and near the vent. If you see any by the ear, you soak a cotton swab with dilute permethrin, and swab around there, not getting inside the ear.

I meant around the ear not in the ear.