Who's had mites/lice?

[gotpoodle]

Or rather, who's CHICKENS have had them?

Just trying to get a feel for how prevalent a problem it is? I've read about DE, and all the ways to keep these pests under control, but is it pretty much a given that it will be a problem at some point? Are they worse in areas that don't get cold in the winter? Is it all about coop maintainence? More likely with multiple birds?
I've always had indoor birds (parrots) and have never seen lice or mites...hate those stupid things that hook to the side of the cage as 'prevention'...I think they do more harm than good, and have never had reason to think they're needed.
So, do outdoor birds usually get mites at some point in their lives?
How many of you have dealt with them? How many have gone through many happy years of chicken keeping without them?
What is the likelyhood that I will deal with mites/lice here in New England with 3-4 birds and a well-maintained coop?
(former vet tech, but creepy crawlies creep me out! LOL!

)

 

[jessica117]

Our birds are free range when we are home and able to watch out for hawks. The rest of the time they are in a coop with attached run. We have had mites (well I think that was what I decided the little boogers were) last summer. We hadn't added any birds except our own hatchlings. Our best guess was that the wild birds that frequent our bird feeders and like to clean up any scratch the girls get a little messy with, brought them in. We of course don't get the hard freezes that you get in your area, so I can't speak to that, but my guess would be that if your birds are outside, or even in a covered run where wild birds could land on top and shake creepie crawlies down into the run, you have the chance for an infestation.

I don't like using chemicals, but in my experience, sevin dust works the best to knock the little boogers out. There are many posts on treatment of mites/lice. Your best bet would be to just handle your birds often and inspect. The earlier you can catch them the easier they are to treat. Most of our birds only had a few but we had one in particular that was overrun. She took the most work to get rid of them.

Hope this helps

 

[Judy]

I believe it's more about exposure to wild birds than anything else, and I don't think it is avoidable unless your chickens live in your house. This is one reason why so many here use DE; it evidently at least keeps them in check. I've had chickens for about a year, and treated once with a "poultry dust" which was pyrethrin and permethrins. I didn't see an infestation, but I could feel them on me when I handled the birds. I started using DE after the dusting, which was last year, and have seen no further need for treatment.

One experienced chicken keeper on here once remarked, if you have chickens, you have lice/mites. I suspect it is about control and keeping them in check, like flies.

 

[kycowgirl78]

I bought a pullet a couple months ago that supposedly was kept inside as it was a small bird and young but I noticed as soon as I got it home that it had mites. So I kept it in a cage by itself and bought some poultry spray for mites and lice and the local farm supply store. I sprayed every other day for almost 3 weeks before I finally got rid of them. The best way to spray is to get down to the skin, just misting over the feathers doesn't do much good. Seven dust may work better, never used it around my birds. Other than that, never had any problems with it.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Our flock consisted of 3 standard clean-footed birds and a banty cochin. The big birds never had problems with mites but the banty cochin gets them all the time. I think it's because her feathers are always trailing on the ground and her abdomen is wet any time it rains (she hates the rain). I've seen mites on the adults from time to time but never to the extent that our banty cochin has had them.

I treat with Sevin and call it good.

 

[ADRIANNA]

I have a lice problem,
I bought a broody hen for incubating and I didn't check her for lice, now all my new baby chicks have lice!!! I am using the DE every where I hope it works.

 

[flakey chick]

I think I've had a scaley leg mite problem, but I'm not sure. Only 1 hen seems to have those issues. I oiled /greased their legs, cleaned out litter, etc. The freaked and the white DE powder I put in their dusting spots, so I have to rake it in before they notice.

The one hen with funky scales is a mostly clean legged mutt, but has had a few stray leg feathers here and there. I think she may be tweezing her legs to fit in. I blame the wild birds. The all like to hide in the same bushes.