Quick question about mites

[ladyrsanti]

I went into the coop this morning with flip-flops on (usually wearing boots) and my feet were soon crawling in almost microscopic tan mites. I use the deep litter method with pine shavings. I picked up a few chickens kinda quick to check them and didn't see any in their feathers or skin (again, a quick check). I turned over the entire bedding and found that it was fairly dry, except maybe the bottom-most layer where it was breaking down but nothing beyond barely damp. Nothing else weird living in it, no smell. What do you more experienced peoples recommend?

 

[Sally8]

That's how I found that I had them too. I just treated them last night with seven. Wasn't sure if I wanted to use something so harsh but now 2 hens are missing feathers. One on her neck and the other on her butt. I watched on you tube how to, but wasn't as easy as it looked. I used a pillow case with a lot of powder in it, pulled it high on her neck, and fluffed the bottom of the bag all around her. then I pulled her out and tipped her upside down gently to make sure I got it in her wings (crease) good. I'm sure that I'm mite free too. Be sure to wear a mask and gloves. My hands kind of ached all night. Not sure if that was why. tonight I attack the coop. I had been working on it for a week. (I used deep litter method too with pine flakes) Good luck. I'm already crying, knowing that I have to do it again in 10 days.
(I have a thought. Bowlers use this bag of rosin to dust their fingers so the ball doesn't slip. I think I'm going to try something like that. The fabric will have to be a loose weave but will try to dust them and rub into the feathers gently.) I really was a mess.
I want to add since I see a post about frontline, that 6 weeks ago I tried the frontline plus. Maybe I didn't use enough but obviously it didn't work. would love to use it instead of the dust. I live in the Fingerlakes region of NY and fleas, mites, ticks are horrible. Using Frontline Plus and Comfortis (vet pill) together to try to combat the fleas and ticks on my dogs.

 

[LR Gamefarm]

i use dirt in my coop during the summer so mites wont be in it other than that chickens dig holes and kick dirt on there backs to get rid of mites

 

[ladyrsanti]

Dirt in the coop... that I haven't heard before. Interesting. I mean, I've heard of people with dirt floors in their coops, who usually long for something like wood or concrete. I have concrete floors. What kind of dirt do you use and how deep? There's a field out back I could dig up for next summer.

I want to avoid dusting the chickens if at all possible. I still don't see any on the birds yet but I'm worried that I can't see them because the danged things are so small. The chickens don't spend much time in their coop these days. They spend all day in the barn and pasture, and then come back to roost at night. That's why I turned over the bedding myself. They're never in there to do it. Even their run is growing grass again as they haven't gone out there in the last few weeks. They'd rather scratch through the sheep's straw and hay, take dust baths in the composted manure and I've even caught them picking through the sheep's fleece too.

I'm hoping it takes care of itself.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I wonder if you have grain mites? Your description of their size, that you found them on the floor, that they are tan and not on your chickens sounds like grain mites to me. Do a google image search and see if they look like what you have.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Or what about predatory mites? It just occurred to me that my son complained of microscopic bugs climbing on his hands after he'd held onto the pasture fence. They were the same as the ones in the coop and would probably be interested in the bedding and droppings rather than the birds. I'm going to keep an eye on the chickens regardless. Thanks guys!