strange bugs on my chicken

[ckoscinski]

My 3 girls have bugs. My one girl hasn't been very energetic for the last few days. First I thought she was cold, then yesterday I noticed these bugs.



The ones in the feathered picture I think are mites. The other I have no idea. I can't find any pictures of such under mites or lice. It's long, thin, has 4 legs and transparent - you can see what looks like a spine. Neither of them move much. I am going to get some dust but am so curious as to what the long one is. Anyone know? Thanks

 

[junebuggena]

It's lice. Treat with pyrethrin twice a week for at least a month.

 

[Eggcessive]

Lice are really fast moving when the feathers are parted and have 6 legs. Mites will be slower and have 8 legs. With lice you will usually see white to grey clumps of eggs at the base of feathers, and they are usually around and under the vent, but another type will be found under the neck and wings. There are two types of mites, the chicken or red mite which is only found on the chicken at nighttime, and the northern fowl mite which feeds day and night. Permethrin 5-10% spray is very effective in controlling all of these if used at least twice 7 days apart. But the coop bedding, nest boxes, and roosts need to be treated and new bedding applied. During cold weather, use the poultry dust. The 10% liquid concentrate will make many gallons of spray when mixed with water. TSC and most farm stores carry it in different brands. Here are some good links with pictures of lice and mites:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html
http://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8162.pdf
https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef516

Mites

lice eggs

 

[ckoscinski]

Thanks. I brought the bug to the feed store and they thought it might be a louse. Looking at pictures, it somewhat looks like a louse. The thing is, they are on them during the day and very easy to pick off them. My girls don't have anything like what you pictured. My top picture is deceiving, showing shadows on the area where the feather goes in the hen. The only thing out of the norm is the 2 mites. Also, none of them have that egg thing going on. Anyway, they gave me Red Lake earth Diatomaceous with calcium bentonite - food chemical codex grade. Is this going to work? I dusted them with it, dusted their (very small) coop and am in the process of getting an isolated (using a dog pool instead of the ground) dust bath area together using fresh dirt, sand and the Diatomaceous. Am I doing the right thing? Also, Iris, the one who has the most, is very blaa. Not walking around too much, just hanging in one spot for long periods of time. She is eating and drinking but not as much as usual. Is there anything I can do or give her to get her blood and energy back? As I'm guessing it's from them drinking her blood that making her this way. Oh, and how often should I dust her? thanks again!!!!!

 

[Eggcessive]

DE is not that effective if you already have an infestation. The permethrin liquid for mixing is about the best product for your dollar. Lice don't drink blood, they are just annoying and itchy. Mites are blood suckers. You might try feeding her some chopped egg, liver, or canned tuna in water, and putting some poultry vitamins/electrolytes in their water for a couple of days. She may have something else going on--just give her a once over, checking her crop, feeling her breast bone for weight loss, or consider worming.

 

[richie10439]

I just found some poultry lice around the vents of my laying hens.... does the Poultry Protector spray from Manna Pro help with this, or should i go with something that seems a big stronger....?

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

Gross. Thank goodness my chickens doesn't have any kind of infestation!

 

[Rammy]

I used Sevin dust on my hens when they got lice from birds stupid me didnt quarantine first. I used the pymethrin to spray down the coop with and dusted the chickens with ths Sevin as well as Poultry Dust. Any feathers I found with nits on them I pulled off and burned on my burn pile. Took me a month to get rid of those things. Boy! Did I learn the hard way about quarantine!

 

[Chickassan]

The bug isn't a louse no idea what it actually is but it isn't a louse.
Others have given great advice on getting the mites gone, the bugs in the top photo are definite mites.
I'd cook and chop up some liver to offer to them try to replace some lost iron especially since one of your girls is sluggish.

 

[chickens really]

Holy smokes.....That's exactly what my Broody Hen had....Yuk!.....She is dusted and will redo her again today.......