tiny pale brown shiny bugs on chicken butt picking feathers out

[newbiechickenowner]

that is funny!!!
Ok...so you like the Sevin dust versus the "permethrin"....any reason why? I don't know the different between the two so I am just wondering. Also, someone mentioned something about a "malathion bath" and then treating the perches with kerosene, but I am wondering if they are thinking of those red bugs and I only saw the brown, which, I think you are right, based on my description, they seem to be what everyone else is describing under "lice".

 

[KellyHM]

The Sevin Dust is also permethrin (or pyrethrin), so they're basically the same, I just use the name brand...doesn't really matter.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

GOT IT! On my way to the coop in the morning....

 

[chickenmeadow]

newbiechickenowner: Sorry to hear about your pest problem, hope it all clears up for you soon. I only do organics & naturals. Here's my recipe for mites & lice that works very well for my chickens, without poisons & pesticides which are harmful to you & I also. In addition to putting this in a kitty litter box for your chickens to dust bathe in, put a sprinkle of the DE in the bottom of each nest box every once in a while. Best wishes!

HOMEMADE CHICKEN DUST BATH
1 part DE (diatomaecous earth)
1 part wood ash (from wood stove, fireplace, or outdoor wood burn)
1 part sand
1 part road dust (fine dusty dirt)

Put 4" (bantams) to 6" (standards) in a kitty litter tray out where your chickens can dust bathe in it any time needed. Keep it dry & out of rain.

 

[newbiechickenowner]

OK so I have copied and pasted and printed that as well. My problem here is that we can't get DE. I need to order it offline...any suggestions?

Also, I just went outside and under this one chickens vent, there are what appeared to be giant clumps of white poop......upon closer inspection, it is giant clumps (dime to nickel sized) of what must be eggs.. there were SO MANY of these creepy crawly long light brown to tan (depending on stage and evelopment) what must be either mites or lice. I really wish I could KNOW for sure what I am treating. There were SO many of them! I have checked the chickens so many times. I checked most of the other chickens that were looking rumpled and NONE of them had this same thing. Could not find one bug on any of their behinds and certainly no clumpy white things. Still sound like lice?

 

[newbiechickenowner]

have you also heard of using the "flea bomb" in their cleaned out coop? I read that from one of the university websites. It said you could use a "flea bomb" once everything and everyone is out of the coop. Don't know if tat is easier for cleaning the actual coop than spraying the Sevin or all natural mixture all over it? Or, if it is just easier to spray the Sevin?

 

[MissAnnieFrannie]

Quote:
I was thinking as i read this thread that i had read in a few other places throughtout BYC the DE is one of the best preventative measures against mites and lice. glad someone else saw it too

 

[newbiechickenowner]

yes I had been meaning to get the DE, but, I mistakenly thought that the mite and lice problem was similar in cats and dogs....worse in the summer so I thought I would get on that soon here. Didn't realize, that based on further investigation, unlike dogs and cats, the mites and lice are WORSE in the winter than in the summer. Interesting!

 

[chickenmeadow]

Quote:
I get all of my DE in the garden supply department of our farm & garden store. It's used to dust plants with, as it dries up the bugs which kills them off.

Do a search (near the top right of this page) by typing in a topic like mite & lice control. Try different wording if needed for the search.

By what you're describing, you may want to get on it to stop the problem in it's tracks. You'll be treating it the same if it's mites or lice. Don't want those eggs to hatch & spread. Good luck!

 

[chickenmeadow]

Here's a site regarding parasites:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

I would use Bag Balm on a skin rash on myself if I had it. It sells at farm & garden store (livestock feed stores). It's even sold in the first aid area in our local Fred Meyer grocery/department store.