Not Sure The Kind of Bug

[The Angry Hen]

Hello Everybody,

I have a mother hen with her (two) baby chicks. She is not in the biggest place, nor cleanest...
But I am waiting until they are old enough so I can let them outside when my parents watch them and I can clean the coop. (Their immune systems are not quite prepared for the open wide).

I sit in the coop with them, mostly in jeans, sometimes in denim shorts. I never wear shoes up there that have left the house and have I worn to stores. I have never had bugs on my chickens, but one little chick (Maggy) there is about six yellow tiny bugs I can not kill they are so small and hard.

Running through her "baby fluff". I have done some research I began to think they are poultry lice. Are they lice? Contagious to humans etc. chickens? I use everything all natural, what can I do? I just started becoming best friend with Maggy and I do not want to lose her trust by holding her too much.

Can I make up an herbal spray to spray on Maggy? I do not want to use DE though, food grade or nothing. I do not believe it. Oh, and her sister does not have it either!! Please tell me everything you can! [Never had this happen, can ya tell?]

I notice it on my legs when I get up too, never bit me, never followed me in the house, but why was it on me? Her mother doesn't have them either (not that I know of). Help please!

Sincerely, hoping there is a natural cure, The Angry Hen.

 

[PatrickRoo]

Use the oil of thyme or thyme tea to kill parasites.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Use the oil of thyme or thyme tea to kill parasites.

Hello There,

Thank you so much for the response!
I will try that, I grow a patch of thyme and it is my best/only herb.

I was thinking about thyme tea, thank you once again!
Have a wonderful afternoon!

~The Angry Hen

 

[lazy gardener]

Sounds like mites to me, not lice. If so, you have a issue on your hands that thyme will not solve. The mites live in the coop, and in the bedding. If you are getting mites on you, you have a serious infestation. They are blood suckers, and can easily kill a young bird. You will need to completely clean out the coop, treat the coop, and the birds with insecticide, and repeat the whole treatment process 7 - 10 weeks later. You will need to destroy the bedding b/c mites can live 10 months between feedings. Do a thread search or google search for mites AND lites. This will help you to know what you are dealing with.

 

[The Angry Hen]

Sounds like mites to me, not lice. If so, you have a issue on your hands that thyme will not solve. The mites live in the coop, and in the bedding. If you are getting mites on you, you have a serious infestation. They are blood suckers, and can easily kill a young bird. You will need to completely clean out the coop, treat the coop, and the birds with insecticide, and repeat the whole treatment process 7 - 10 weeks later. You will need to destroy the bedding b/c mites can live 10 months between feedings. Do a thread search or google search for mites AND lites. This will help you to know what you are dealing with.

Hello There,

Thank you for the response.
Scary to hear. I will try that, thanks!

~The Angry Hen