what problems do mites cause?

[sheeshshe]

I just saw one crawling on my 7week old chick. I was cuddling her and saw one crawling on her feather... what problems do they cause? is this something I need to take care of? they have DE in their bedding but they don't take dust baths in it... they have their fave spot outside where they like to have their daily dust bath

should I dump DE in their dust bath pile?

 

[purpletree23]

Hi there. Yes....put DE in their dust bath and get some livestock dust at your local feed store. Dust them per the directions. I do it outside so the chickens or I don't inhale any of the dust.

The mites can suck so much blood that it makes the chickens anemic. It also makes the chickens miserable and if there are enough mites it can cause them to pull out their own feathers, stop eating and in severe cases they can die. The dust is a great 2 for 1. It also kills lice. Good luck.

DE is great but sometimes you have go go a little further.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Very well said, just try to be more vigilant with your mite/insect control. i tend to probably over do it but then again I have never had a problem and it feels good to know I have a handle on it.

AL

 

[sheeshshe]

what is this livestock dust stuff you speak of? is it similar to the DE?

should I just start with the DE since I already have it? $ is tight....


and how does one know if/when the mites are gone?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like you have a lot of questions about mites and lice. Check out this site. I think it will help you.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

The typical "livestock dust" for mites and lice is Sevin. Get the powdered form, not the one that is to be mixed with water. The site I gave you tells you how to use it and how often.

DE is a good preventative, but once you get an infection, I would not count on it as a cure. I'd use the Sevin.

I once had a University of Arkansas Ag professor who breeds chickens say that red roost mites kill more broody hens than anything else. Treat mites and lice as serious pests.

 

[sheeshshe]

sigh............ not fun.

well, how did they get the mites I wonder? would they pick them up from the ground from being dropped off of other birds?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Probably from songbirds. It's hard to avoid them.

 

[cgmccary]

DE will not get rid of mites and will not prevent mites. I used DE religiously for a couple of years and still got mites. It is useless as far as I am concerned. I no longer use it. It is a waste of money. Harmless but useless. For those who want to say will I use DE and have not had any mites, then I say, you don't have mites because you are using DE; you don't have mites because they have not been brought to your premises.

I finally had to treat my birds with Ivermectin (1%Solution-- a liquid) to kill the mites. The mites I had were resistant to Sevin dust and Rotenone dust. The DE had no effect. I even tried dusting the infected birds with the DE using a dusting pistol.

Apply the Ivermectin to the back of the neck, base of neck between the shoulder blades, spread the feathers and on the skin there (as you would apply Frontline to a dog), apply .2 cc (that is, 2/10 of a cc) for Bantams. My 5-7 lb hens got .4 cc and my larger 7-10 lb birds got .6 cc. Be careful not to drip the Ivermectin anywhere else. I use latex gloves so as not to get any of it on myself. I used a 1 cc syringe that was separated in tenths. Ivermectin will kill mites, scaly leg mites, lice, all worms (except tapeworm). Don't eat the eggs for 2 weeks.

Since my bout with mites, I stopped using sevin, rotenone & DE altogether. I have been using a natural enzyme, Poultry Protector (http://www.firststatevetsupply.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=75&products_id=260) and spraying the run, nest boxes and general area around. I have not had any mites since using the stuff.

 

[sheeshshe]

do they have this ivermectin stuff at the chicken store? generally speaking anyways... is that where I would get it? or do I have to order online? what about the poultry protector stuff? My store is REALLY good at carrying weird things...

I hope they have some of this!

how often should I use the ivermectin stuff? is it a one time application to kill the mites? does it help kieep mites away for a certain amt of time?

and how long should I not touch the birds for after application? I dont think stuff like this would be good to come in contact with during pregnancy... correct?

 

[cgmccary]

Yes, just about any feedstore should have it. It is used to de=worm cattle and pigs. It comes in a little bottle. I use it to prevent worms in my dogs as well -- I give it to the dog orally (it is MUCH cheaper than the heartworm pills for dogs). My vet gave me the proper dosages by body weight.

I have taken it as well (by mouth), some years back, while traveling in a third world country and had no other choice-- the taste is horrible. Of course, my dosage was much higher