pests!!!!help

[agdenton]

why would some of our flock be losing feathers around their tails and it looks red and irrtating? even the rooster?

 

[CMV]

I'd start by doing a bug check. Mites and lice will both cause feather loss. Lice are readily visible, but mites are harder to spot because they are so small. Mites are also active after dark, so you may have to check the birds at night with a flashlight. Mites look like tiny moving dirt particles and are usually a reddish brown color. If you see they have bugs then you will need to treat them for the problem, and then strip out their coop, clean it with in an inch of its life, and then treat it with a pesticide. And just to add to the fun, you will have to do it all over again in 10 days. There are lots of products on the market you can use to treat bugs. A quick search through old posts or the archives will yield all the info you need on dealing with a bug problem.

Good luck.

 

[lovemelovemybirds]

Nothing beats chicken dipping/dusting day!!! Yippee!!! Use a large fish net to catch them....we use Pyrethrin dip and dust.....get it at the feed store....wear gloves....and a cold beer after your done helps the process along...

Forgot to mention: pick a warm day if your gonna dip them...you can concentrate on the vent area? and we do that if just dusting...but when we dip them I pretty much dip the whole bird up to the neck..as much as I can avoiding the eyes...and then if one spases out and goes in the dip, rinse their head and eyes, mouth.. real good with clear water and send them on their really wet way....

and yes..repeat after 10 days. Feathers come back quick though, but it is molting season in areas now..so...good luck!!

 

[rgrillo]

I have been advised to use diatomeceous earth FOOD GRADE as an effective yet very safe alternative to the harsher pesticides that can do more harm than good, including neurological and physiological harm to all animals including us humans. Unfortunately the food grade variety is tougher to find in stores but it is readily available on the internet. Diatom in its powder form can apparently be dusted on surfaces and on the chickens to prevent any manner of pests. It can also be used in their feed to prevent worms.

 

[CMV]

Quote:
Unfortunately, you have been incorrectly advised. DE is a preventative for external parasites, but not a cure. Once your flock has an active infestation a pesticide is needed. DE also only works when it is dry, so the claims that it works as a wormer are highly suspect. I use DE around my animals and it is good for certain applications, but DE's claims to fame have been vastly overrated. It has acquired a reputation for being the panacea that it is not.

 

[lovemelovemybirds]

then theres that. :} http://www.asktheexterminator.com/Pesticide/Pyrethrin.shtml We use it in the horse sprayers too....well worth its value...for sure.