Please help!! Red mite infestation

[Nikki71]

I have been wondering why my four silkie bantams are losing weight, not laying and suddenly refusing to go into the coop at night. Tonight I saw an infestation of red mites on the nesting boxes and perches. I am a chicken newbie and I don’t know what to do.
For tonight I have moved my girls into the outside run into a big plastic travel box with a towel to sleep on. But what now? How do I get the mites out of the coop? How do I de-mite my silkies??They are adored pets and I’m distraught. Please tell me what I need to do? What’s the best product? Any advice very gratefully received.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I have been wondering why my four silkie bantams are losing weight, not laying and suddenly refusing to go into the coop at night. Tonight I saw an infestation of red mites on the nesting boxes and perches. I am a chicken newbie and I don’t know what to do.
For tonight I have moved my girls into the outside run into a big plastic travel box with a towel to sleep on. But what now? How do I get the mites out of the coop? How do I de-mite my silkies??They are adored pets and I’m distraught. Please tell me what I need to do? What’s the best product? Any advice very gratefully received.

Oh the poor girls! I have Silkies too and in the past some of mine have had dry leg /mite problems. I didn't know what it was untill I looked it up so I now regularly check my chickens legs and at first sign of any dryness I smother their legs in oil and repeat in a day or 2 then again in a week. That seems to get rid of it.
I had 1 hen that I bought off someone and she had the dry legs sooo bad! For her case I used Ivermectin -a tiny drop on the back of their neck. You can't eat the eggs for 2 weeks after dosing I think but it worked great for her.
Also, do your Silkies have access to clean dirt to dust bath? I made a big covered (stays dry) area for dust bathing -a sandbox filled with dirt, sand, DE and some wood ash. The dust bathing helps keep the mites at bay I think.
You should be able to get special sprays for mites at the pet store, ones you can use to spray the coop and chickens.
Maybe a good clean out with vinegar on roosts and whatever bedding you use, get rid of it completely, burn it if you can with those buggers in it!
Then spray the coop with what you can get at the pet store - Oristopet is the one called here in Australia if you are from here?
I'm sure there are lots of people on here more experienced with problem that can chime in for brilliant ideas!!
Good luck with it all! To start with just get some oil on those poor girls feet tonight if you can - just any oil you have in the house like olive oil will do. Vasaline maybe or something to start smothering those buggers on those girls!

 

[Nikki71]

Thank you so much for answering. Tomorrow I will empty out their house of all woodchip etc... and spray/ disinfect. I will also put Vaseline on their legs. I’m going to try to get some ‘Poultry Shield’ but I am struggling to find any for sale in Melbourne.

 

[coach723]

Using something with permethrin in it is your best bet for getting rid of them. Aristopet Bird Lice and Mite Spray contains permethrin. Coopex powder is also permethrin. You have to treat both the birds and the coop, clean out the coop, discard all bedding and nesting material, and spray the whole coop getting all the nooks and crannies. You need to repeat at least 3 times at weekly intervals to get any that continue to hatch. Red mites and scaly leg mites are two different things with different treatments. The mites live in the coop, the scaly leg mites are microscopic and burrow into the scales on the legs and feet.
https://www.aussiechooksupplies.com.au/product/coopex-powder-25g/
https://birdsville.net.au/medicines/mite-lice/aristopet-mite-lice-spray/
More info on mites and treatment:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/scaly-leg-mites-in-chickens/

 

[Nikki71]

I could see them crawling on the wood and wood shavings. They looked like microscopic gray dots. So my best guess was red mites.

 

[coach723]

Microscopic scaly leg mites cannot be seen with the eye, you need a microscope. You only see the evidence of them in the damage to the leg and feet scales. Since you see the tiny mites in the coop then I agree with what you think you have.

 

[Nikki71]

I left a piece of white cloth in the coop overnight and here it is this morning..

 

[Vickischics]

I left a piece of white cloth in the coop overnight and here it is this morning..

Im sorry your experiencing this.
I don't use DE anymore.
The fine dust is not good for you nor your flock to breathe. Plus, the bugs have to get themselves covered in it.
I use Permethrin concentrate from Tractor Supply and spray it everywhere.
If you Dip the chickens too, Two people is suggested if needed.
Allow them to air dry in a nice clean warm place. Them feed them a good ol scrambled egg.
@ Casportpony reported this info

 

[Nikki71]

Thank you so much everyone for your responses. I have moved past the totally freaked stage and am now engaged in full scale mite warfare. I have moved the chooks into a different coop, burned all the wood chip in the old coop, sprayed every surface with Ativan mite liquidator and treated the birds. I have also washed everything down with half water/ half oil. The bad news is, my ‘piece of white rag’ tester indicates that I’ve scarcely made a dent . I have ordered Coopex and will try with that tomorrow. Wish me luck!

 

[HollyWoozle]

Good lucky, @Nikki71! It is war but you will get there. In my experience you will need to treat the chickens a few times, maybe a week or so apart, in order to break the egg cycle of any mites and kill them off for good. Permethrin (which I believe is the active ingredient in the product you're using) is the only thing that has worked for me so do keep at it!