Red mites all around silkie eyes??

[daddysgirlz]

HELP...I thoought my chicken had fallen and was limping on one of her legs...when i picked her up ths afternoon I noticed that she has all these crawling red mites around her eyes and her body...she seems to be off balance...how do I treat her and get the mites off her eyes??

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

They are probably in her ears as well, causing her to be off balance.

You need to do a few things and you need to do them quickly.

- Bathe her with flea and tick puppy shampoo.
- Apply seven dust to the coop or nesting area.
- Once she is dry, apply seven dust directly on the bird
- And there is some injectable stuff that you can put in their water's that will knock the mites through the blood stream. I've been out of poultry for so long now that I can't even remember the name....

And you need to spray her with Adams flea and tick spray daily. On her crest, under her wings and around her vent.


Depending on how far infested she is, you also need to provide her with extra nutrients to replace those that have been lost.

 

[chicken crazed 1o1]

ashes do the trick .

 

[daddysgirlz]

thanks..do I need to do that with both birds as I have two...the other does not seem to have mites... I've never washed a chicken before?? we have 10 chicks as well that are kept seperate from the two that have mites...chicks are 5-6 weeks old, what about them??

 

[daddysgirlz]

How do I apply the ashes??

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

You apply ashes, or sevin dust as if you were dusting a babys bottom. Put some in your hand and put it on the bird. Make sure it gets down to the skin and doesn't sit on top of the feathers.

And depending on the severity of the mite infestation, dont bother with ashes. You need something thats going to KILL the mites on contact, not just deter them.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

To bathe a silkie... see this thread. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=99105

 

[daddysgirlz]

Great..thanks..I will get the sevin dust asap and get that applied and give vitamins in water then a bath tomorrow...what about the chicks that are kept seperate from them?? they are 5-6 wks old...dust them too??

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

If one bird has mites, most of them probably will. Its best to treat their living area. Use DE or Sevin Dust in their shavings, and inspect them regularly. Most Silkie breeders will keep a flea and tick spray on hand and spray them every day or every two days during peak 'mite' season.

 

[daddysgirlz]

When is peak mite season?? As a horticulturalist it was always standard to treat mites with a mitecide as mites are hard to kill with many other insecticides?? I just bought poultry dust with an active ingredient of pyrethrin...hope it works!! The one bird is weak and off balance..one reply said the mites my be in her ears too....how do I get them out of her ears??