OMG! What have I Brought Home? MITES!

[MjChickens]

I have been reading alot of the threads on here about mites and I am not finding my answer or maybe not looking in the right spot.

I bought 3 hens and a rooster all look to be in good condition all around 6-7months old. The first day I notice the rooster was not crowing, contacted the people I got them from.

Then about 3 days later one of the girls came down with a cold.. So I treated the 4 of them just to be safe. Finally 2 weeks later I get my first egg. pick it up and it is covered with mites. as long as I have had chickens I have NEVER had a mite problem.. So this is my question, Have I done everyone right and do I need to retreat in so many days?

I cleaned out the couple sprayed the coop with Permethrin and roosting bars. I put DE down and poultry dust in the nesting boxes. Check all 4 for the mites around the vents and found 2 with VERY bad mites. Dusted them down with DE and everyone got Ivermectin on the back of the neck. Every time the girls leave the nesting boxes I will put down fresh Poultry dust for the next girl.
Am I missing any steps? Thank You any advance that may help...

 

[nurse_turtle]

I use DE as more of a preventative than a treatment. I'm not sure what poultry dust contains, but I use sevin dust to treat external parasites on my birds. Unless your new birds were separated from the others, all your birds may need to be treated. Aside from dusting everyones bum with Sevin, I sprinkle in their bedding and all known favorite dusting areas. Also, depending on weather, a bath will drown most of the mites immediately, maybe use a flea and tick doggy shampoo. Now I slap the back of your hand and remind you that when you bring new birds home, flip them over and search their bum right there at the seller's place. Live and learn.

 

[FarmGirl01]

I have had mites once. I clean out all the material and sprayed with Adams spray. I let it air dry then sprinkled Sevin dust on the coop floor. Then new bedding went on top and gave it a big stir. The hen that had the mites i treated with the dust. All new comers are given a small drop of Frontline around the vent. Every month a new dusting and clean bedding.

 

[MjChickens]

Now I slap the back of your hand and remind you that when you bring new birds home, flip them over and search their bum right there at the seller's place. Live and learn.

I now know..

I knew it to begin with... I am still shaking my head. I looked through the feathers but stupid me not thinking about the vent area. Never ever again will I get a bird that I don't flip over and the vent area be the first place I look.
The DE I have been told when it gets on the mites or they try to go through it will kill them. So if I can get a couple that helps me.

 

[ReikiStar]

When we rescued hens who had mites, we bathed them with a dog shampoo that had Permethrin then sprayed them for a week with Manna Pros "Poultry Protector", it's a natural enzyme which helps keep mites off them. That was a year ago and we haven't had any problems with mites since (only bathed the hens that one time).

 

[MjChickens]

When we rescued hens who had mites, we bathed them with a dog shampoo that had Permethrin then sprayed them for a week with Manna Pros "Poultry Protector", it's a natural enzyme which helps keep mites off them. That was a year ago and we haven't had any problems with mites since (only bathed the hens that one time).

Can anyone tell me can you spray the permethrin around the vent area or is that not a good idea?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

What you did is exactly what i do when we have a mite outbreak. Except, i just use the poultry dust for infestations, and then the DE when i don't have an active infestation. i also love the Poultry Protector and use that to spray down coops when i do cleanings. It's a good preventative, and safe to use when you have little ones with an active mite infestation.

You want to repeat treatment in about 10-14 days. Mites are such a pain. Wild birds bring them into the yard. And when you clean up the coop and pen, it only takes missing two of them for the infestation to start all over again. i went through months of dealing with mites and now *knock wood* we haven't seen them in a while.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Can anyone tell me can you spray the permethrin around the vent area or is that not a good idea?

You can, just make sure you don't get it in their vent. Maybe cover the actual vent with your hand. Personally, i prefer to use the poultry dust on the chickens. i've sprayed that permethrin on my hand before, when i saw mites on it, and it does a number on your skin. i think the dust along with the ivermectin drops should be enough.

 

[MjChickens]

What you did is exactly what i do when we have a mite outbreak. Except, i just use the poultry dust for infestations, and then the DE when i don't have an active infestation. i also love the Poultry Protector and use that to spray down coops when i do cleanings. It's a good preventative, and safe to use when you have little ones with an active mite infestation.

You want to repeat treatment in about 10-14 days. Mites are such a pain. Wild birds bring them into the yard. And when you clean up the coop and pen, it only takes missing two of them for the infestation to start all over again. i went through months of dealing with mites and now *knock wood* we haven't seen them in a while.

OK Good! Thanks for the advance. I will stop with the DE and just use the poultry dust for now. Should I dust the girls every night or not? I was just out and looked at the girls and also wondering not really sure about this but... The feathers around the vent are really bad would it hurt for me trim those back to get rid of alot of the mites? Or is that a NO! NO!?

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

If you are seeing a lot of mites and eggs on the shafts of the feathers around the vent, i would bath them. That is the fastest and safest way to get rid of them. Put a little bit of flea shampoo in a tub of warm water. You will be amazed at how many mites come off. You may have to go a couple of rounds for each chicken, emptying out the water and refilling with clean water. Then blow dry them with a hair dryer on gentle until they are near about dry. You don't want to put them back outside wet. i know it sounds like a pain, but when i've had to do this, i find my chickens really like the warm bath and fall asleep with the hair dryer blowing on them.

i wouldn't dust them every night, it is a poison, after all. Give the powder a chance to work. Or better yet, try the bath.