Getting a picture seems almost impossible, these little buggy things are very tiny, maybe 3/4 the size of the "I" on my keyboard key. Some about as long as the I. Long thing narrow body, shaped and moves more like a centipede or a worm. They're inhabiting my bird's feathers, I dont see any on the skin, jsut the feathers.
No bald spots or irritation on the birds, I found them by accident as I was trimming a beak on a white bird, and was rubbing her neck to say ''you're done! all better!'' and I see all these little brownish crawlies in the feathers.
I bought some Diatomaceous Earth and dusted the coop and all my birds. Its been almost 2 weeks since then and i'm still seeing these crawlies on my birds. They dont seem to even be irritated by them. But parasitic thingies in my bird's feathers can't be good.
Any ideas as to what these are or how I can kill them or prevent them from coming back?
I just found them in another coop at the other end of the yard today on some buff orpingtons. Very very few compared to the small populations on the first set of birds I found, which are young birds being grown up in a stall in my barn until they can hold their ground against the larger birds in my other 2 coops.
Thoughts, input, are appreciated.
-JAK
No bald spots or irritation on the birds, I found them by accident as I was trimming a beak on a white bird, and was rubbing her neck to say ''you're done! all better!'' and I see all these little brownish crawlies in the feathers.
I bought some Diatomaceous Earth and dusted the coop and all my birds. Its been almost 2 weeks since then and i'm still seeing these crawlies on my birds. They dont seem to even be irritated by them. But parasitic thingies in my bird's feathers can't be good.
Any ideas as to what these are or how I can kill them or prevent them from coming back?
I just found them in another coop at the other end of the yard today on some buff orpingtons. Very very few compared to the small populations on the first set of birds I found, which are young birds being grown up in a stall in my barn until they can hold their ground against the larger birds in my other 2 coops.
Thoughts, input, are appreciated.
-JAK