Possible mite problem

[Mkmckay49]

My hens may have mites? Dtarted with my mother hen. She went broody in april so i gave her chicks and since her belly feathers have not grown back in and her face feathers look like they have white specs on the tips. Her chick is 3 months old now and I'm still feeding chick food to the chick but the other hens keep eating it also and wouldn't eat their layer food. Mother hen has been brooding again now for 3 days. I talked to the people at Murdocks and got feather fixer and added it into the hens diet and have only been putting a small amount of chick food out once a day instead of the whole mason jar so the hens didn't get full on it. Their feathers are looking patchy also which is why I got the feather fixer but am wondering now if it's mites not the consumption of to much chick food......i will post pics soon as I can. I plan to go home tonight and clean the coop out and I have mite spray for the hens. Also planning to kennel the broody hen and try to get her to stop brooding again......any help is appreciated. What's the best way to remove mites from the chickens if that is it and how long does it take to get rid of them for good.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

At or about this time of year chickens begin their annual molt, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Are you positively sure that the patchy looking feathers are not an indication that your hens are not on the verge of shedding all their feathers in preparation to growing a whole new set?

 

[Kiki]

Mites live in the coop and come out at night time to eat the chickens.
You will need to treat both, the coop and the chickens.

Permethrin spray will work for both.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

For lighter cases of mites (or lice), poultry dust, which is a pain to put on each bird, but is effective. You can create a "powder puff" with a nylon stocking which helps things.

Better is Gordin's Poultry spray. Spray at night while roosting. Mist the vent area and backs. Spray roosts.

If you've got a heavy infestation, the best thing honestly is Ivermectin cattle pour on. About 5 to 6 drops (or .25 ml) per large fowl bird. Repeat in 10 days. Pull eggs for 7 to 14 days after last treatment (advice varies).

Many broody ladies get mites/lice as they are not dust bathing as frequently. This of course can transfer to your other birds.

Brooding ladies also usually molt after brooding, which makes their feathers pretty funky.

I don't think your feed choices are affecting your feathers. If anything, the higher protein in chick feed would help their feathers. It may simply be heat related if the weather has turned hot.

Hopefully you can get on top of this quickly. EDITED TO ADD: and yes, you have to treat the coop as well as the birds, depending upon the type of mite. Some live on the birds (Northern Fowl Mite) others live solely in the coop (red roost mite). The coop mite type are harder to get rid of and require a very thorough cleaning and treatment of coop.

LofMc

 

[Mkmckay49]

At or about this time of year chickens begin their annual molt, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Are you positively sure that the patchy looking feathers are not an indication that your hens are not on the verge of shedding all their feathers in preparation to growing a whole new set?

It's possible I didn't know that they are a year old now so maybe.....i will check them when I get home for mites if I don't find any on them then that would probably be what's going on? Should I continue to feed feather fixer if they are just molting or just continue layer feed?

 

[Kiki]

Can you post a few pictures of them this evening?

 

[Mkmckay49]

For lighter cases of mites (or lice), poultry dust, which is a pain to put on each bird, but is effective. You can create a "powder puff" with a nylon stocking which helps things.



Better is Gordin's Poultry spray. Spray at night while roosting. Mist the vent area and backs. Spray roosts.

If you've got a heavy infestation, the best thing honestly is Ivermectin cattle pour on. About 5 to 6 drops (or .25 ml) per large fowl bird. Repeat in 10 days. Pull eggs for 7 to 14 days after last treatment (advice varies).

Many broody ladies get mites/lice as they are not dust bathing as frequently. This of course can transfer to your other birds.

Brooding ladies also usually molt after brooding, which makes their feathers pretty funky.

I don't think your feed choices are affecting your feathers. If anything, the higher protein in chick feed would help their feathers. It may simply be heat related if the weather has turned hot.

Hopefully you can get on top of this quickly. EDITED TO ADD: and yes, you have to treat the coop as well as the birds, depending upon the type of mite. Some live on the birds (Northern Fowl Mite) others live solely in the coop (red roost mite). The coop mite type are harder to get rid of and require a very thorough cleaning and treatment of coop.

LofMc

Interesting thank you for the advice. I will look into trying to find any mites on the chickens and in the coop. It has gotten really hot in the high 90ies and they are a year old now. Will feather fixer be beneficial durring the molting process or should I stick with only layer feed?

 

[Kiki]

Look at the ingredients of your two feeds.
I think the feather fixer just has a bit more protein, but don't quote me on that, I've never used it.

It will not hurt them, either way.

 

[Mkmckay49]

Can you post a few pictures of them this evening?

Yes I will when I get home

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Interesting thank you for the advice. I will look into trying to find any mites on the chickens and in the coop. It has gotten really hot in the high 90ies and they are a year old now. Will feather fixer be beneficial durring the molting process or should I stick with only layer feed?

Since it is hot, and they are a year old, it could simply be a molt.

I have used Nutrena's Feather Fixer, and I do notice my birds recover more quickly from molting after using it (2 seasons).

It however will do absolutely nothing for mites. I never had mites (noticeably). Then started using feather fixer. After about a year on that, we had the worse mite outbreak ever. So it does nothing for mites.

It however is good for feather regrowth as it is higher in protein and some of the nutrients which helps with feather regrowth.

LofMc