My Ladies have Mites?

[aart]

Funny you mention it because I've been battling wild birds recently, which is probably the cause of the mites issue. I moved the food inside of the coop hoping to solve the problem, but they are now finding their way inside to the food. :/ Do I really have to wrap bird netting around my entire run to keep the damn things away?

You might...or put a strip door up on pop door.
Do you feed wild birds elsewhere in your yard?

 

[Matilda Belle]

You might...or put a strip door up on pop door.
Do you feed wild birds elsewhere in your yard?

Good idea. Thanks. I don't feed the wild birds, but my neighbors do.

 

[Simmons Homestead]

I have sprayed two of my ladies and some of the coop with Permethrin, though I couldn't catch the other two. I was wearing rain gear, a mask, the whole gig, so as not to inhale or get any on myself. I feel like it's a bit of a hassle, but I was anxious to do everything it said on the label. I saw one of my ladies cleaning off her wet feathers right after I'd sprayed her, so hopefully she'll be okay...
Though I got a lot of it on my fingers. It was a bit messy, but I kept one cat inside and I didn't see the other one at all while I was spraying the ladies.
Will it kill an older cat? How does it kill them? And how exposed do they have to be for it to kill them? Is it an "Don't spray anywhere NEAR your cats or their favorite resting places" or an "just don't spray it on them directly"?
Anxious to keep my fluffy ones happy and healthy.

 

[Folly's place]

We spray the coop and the chickens at night when they are roosting, so no fun rodeo trying to catch anyone! We use a small flashlight, not major lighting, for the same reason.
Our cats are closed out of the coop until the next day, so everything is dry. No spray hits anyone except those chickens, and some on our clothes.
Permethrin is toxic to cats, and it's dose related, so keeping them totally away from it is important.
We don't spray outside at all!!!
Mary

 

[Simmons Homestead]

We spray the coop and the chickens at night when they are roosting, so no fun rodeo trying to catch anyone! We use a small flashlight, not major lighting, for the same reason.
Our cats are closed out of the coop until the next day, so everything is dry. No spray hits anyone except those chickens, and some on our clothes.
Permethrin is toxic to cats, and it's dose related, so keeping them totally away from it is important.
We don't spray outside at all!!!
Mary

I was going to spray at night, but I didn't have a chance until now, in the afternoon. My cats are not inside the coop, they tend to stay away from the chickens, although my cat Squeaks was on top of the coop the other day. I just sprayed the inside of the nesting boxes, the roost, and the two hens, I did not spray the outside of the coop or the run. I had to take the chickens out to spray them, but since I have a little "buffer" area outside of the coop so they don't escape and dig up the yard, I just used that.
If it makes sense, I was outside spraying the chickens, not spraying the outside of the coop.
If your cats have been fine, and are barn cats, then I think mine should be okay. They are afraid of the chickens and stay away from the coop. They have no way to get into the coop either. What dose would be fatal to a grown cat?

 

[Folly's place]

Fatal dose? It depends, and there's a range, and you don't want to go there. Just avoid contact with cats, anyone else, and the spray. Stick with your plan and contain it.
Mary

 

[Simmons Homestead]

Fatal dose? It depends, and there's a range, and you don't want to go there. Just avoid contact with cats, anyone else, and the spray. Stick with your plan and contain it.
Mary

Okay, thank you. I think that as long as I don't spray it on or near the cats directly, they should be fine since they tend to avoid the coop.

 

[Cluckingitup]

IMO, no.
Don't treat for external parasites unless you see them.

Probably 2 different issues, tho if she's sick she may be 'hiding' in the nest.
Trim butt feathers down to 1/2" from the skin, and assess diet and digestion.
Nest sleeping is often a crowding and/or integration issue.

Thanks, I will take a closer look at them to see if there are any critters. The 2 older hens are in their own coop. They have stayed in their boxes since the day my nephew gave them to me. The poo may be from the hot weather and the veggie treats/meal worms I give them. I will cut back the treats for a while.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree, only treat if there's a problem!
Mary

 

[cmom]

I use permethrin dust on the birds and in their nest boxes.