Tiny red bugs?

[Porterfive]

We are very new to chickens and are just reading all we can to learn about these little guys.
I was hoping someone might be able to answer this question for me.
We have just got 4 adult bantams that are in a coop and 3 six week old banatam chicks. I haven't had a chance yet to look at the adults but the chicks have running on their skin, tiny little red bugs. Not completley infested but enough to see while handling them. I have also seen what looks like the same thing scurring around on two feed bags I bought from the store the other day.
The chicks are all healthy and aren't scratching.
Does anyone know what these might be? Do I need to get rid of them or are they not a problem.
Thanks in advance for any advice/answers.
Jenny,
One of Porterfive

 

[peeps7]

They might be chiggers!

I hope not cause if they are you need to quikly get the chicks in the sink for a quick bath. If you give them a bath don't stick there heads in the water, just rinse them off real good! (Warm water)

 

[Newchickenmom&kids]

I bet they're mites:

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/MF2387.PDF

 

[erinm]

I bet mites also. I read they can drive your birds nuts with the scratching so much they stop eating drinking etc. ErinM

 

[jab91864]

Sounds like blood sucking mites to me.

Julie

 

[Porterfive]

Thanks for everyone's help. Turns out they are lice and told to use Sevin dust to get rid of them.
Jenny.

 

[Chelly]

DE would work and much safer than sevin dust!

(DE=diatomaceous earth)

 

[chickychicka]

How is DE used? I have foodgrade DE at home, do I sprinkle it on the chickens or spread it on the ground where they dust bathe? How much do I need to use? Do I need to wash the coop with water and bleach, or do I use DE in there, too? Thanks for any replies and/or tips!
Are those red mites? I think they are.

 

[Folly's place]

Carbaryl is much more effective. Also treat the coop and roosts, and WEAR AT LEAST a N95 face mask! DE is no safer to inhale that either carbaryl or permethrin. The latter is approved for use in chickens, and works fine. DE has some limited use in dust baths in dry places, but again it's not safe to breathe. You will need to retreat every seven to ten days for two or three treatments. I use Ivermectin injectable topically on my chickens for lice, mites, and intestinal parasites, although it's not approved for use, because it's not a dust so no breathing issues. Mary

 

[chickychicka]

Thank you! I am trying to avoid the use of pesticides unless I feel beaten and have tried natural methods too many times unsuccessfully. For now I hope I have luck, but seeing these tiny bugs makes me anxious to miss some that will reproduce. I wonder how they suddenly appeared in the first place? Then they may just reappear again even if the existing get wiped out! Argh! Parasites on pets are such a headache!