Vancouver's Leader in Transition toward Strong, Resilient, Complete Communities

Mites!

Duncan was over and took a good look at our chickens: it appears they have mites. He had some good advice on treatment: diatomaceous earth. Has anyone else dealt with this? Do you have additional advice?

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Julia Smith on March 10, 2011 at 7:38am

We had a fun outbreak last year. Rotten time of year for it as you're going to basically have to tear your whole coop apart to get rid of them. I took out everything down to the bare walls and essentially pressure washed everything, paying special attention to nooks and crannies where they like to hide. You'll probably find lots of them around the roosting rails... that's where they hide during the day then climb up onto the birds at night when they are roosting. Might be easier to just replace the whole roosting rail and associated parts. We had lino on the floor and there were tons of them under that. I sprayed the whole coop down with vinegar, then pressure washed... then did it again... and again... and again.... until there were no more mites. It was a beautiful sunny day in summer when I had to do it though! Once the coop was mite free, I filled every nook and cranny where they had been with DE and pretty much dusted the rest of the surfaces with it as well (including the walls). I put a thicker coating on the roosting rail. As for the birds, I treated them with critter powder. It's a good idea to mix DE into your dust bath too.

Good luck! I would offer to help but I can't risk bringing them home to my girls, or to our big coop and especially not with 200 baby chicks arriving next week.

Permalink Reply by Laura Arp on March 10, 2011 at 1:29pm

I have some Diatomaceous earth if you need it! Nate has been to our house - Duncan has my number too.

Will be at home tonight - pls. call or email if you want some. (As a rule, I don't post my address or phone number on-line.)

Permalink Reply by Asia Warner on March 11, 2011 at 2:25pm

Thanks I'll call Duncan tonight!

Perhaps you'll be around tonight or sometime Mon, Tues, or Wed?

Thanks again.

Permalink Reply by Laura Arp on March 11, 2011 at 2:45pm

I'm around! Tonight is good too.

Permalink Reply by Alyssa K on March 10, 2011 at 2:21pm

I'm sure Julia's advice is good with respect to the coop. As far as the birds, I've had lice in the past. Lice are not the same as mites, but maybe this is useful anyway.

Bathing the birds helps. In general, it is easier than bathing a cat but depends on the bird. If you decide to do that make sure they are really dry after so they don't get chilled or a dust bath turns into a mud bath. (You can blow dry them being careful not to burn them). I have more detailed instructions on that, or look on backyardchickens.com

DE may be better as a preventative than a cure, although hard-line organic poultry people swear by it. (And wood ash, which is free).

Pyrethrin or Permethrin ("poultry dust") has more 'kick' than DE, but I don't think it is considered organic.

Either poultry dust or DE, you want to get them really coated well. This involves putting them in a bag (not the head of course, think 'shake & bake'... with a live bird) to get it really into all their feathers. Pay special attention to the vent and around the head, but be careful they aren't breathing in dust, as chickens have very sensitive respiratory systems. You can also put DE/dust in a parmesan type shaker for occasional applications. (Be sure to label it well...)

Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Ross Moster on March 10, 2011 at 2:38pm

Hey Asia,

For more diatomaceaous earth discussion.

Permalink Reply by Asia Warner on March 11, 2011 at 2:22pm

Thanks so much this is great.

I'm gonna " shake and bake" them and clean the coop on Monday.

I will keep you posted on my progress.

Permalink Reply by Asia Warner on March 15, 2011 at 11:51am

And so the saga begins.

Monday:

Nate cleaned out the coop and washed it down with bleachy, soapy water. I pitch forked hay (we didn't have straw) out of the run. While we waited for the coop to dry, I tidied our neighbour's yard where are chickens have been free-ranging all winter.

I prepared them a dust-bathing box as they will no longer be allowed to dust bath under the neighbour’s shed. I replaced the cardboard laying box and news papered the floor of the coop. Then I went to town with the diatomaceous earth. Puffing and sprinkling it into every crack in the henhouse.

Once the chickens were fed and watered, I began locking them in for the night. I was running out of time, and Nate was no longer around to help me, I’d have to “shake and bake” powder them tomorrow. I grabbed a chicken (Sally) anyway to take a look at these mites that were causing all the trouble AND… they looked a lot like LICE.

From my reading (the Chicken Health Handbook) lice seem a bit better than mites. Lice can only live on the chicken where as mites can live in the coop.

Permalink Reply by Asia Warner on March 15, 2011 at 10:28pm

Tuesday:

Chased chickens around and powdered their bottoms. Thanks Laura for the DE.

Will need to do another round in a week.

Permalink Reply by Asia Warner on March 16, 2011 at 11:03am

More info

The difference between LICE and MITES: http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8162.pdf

Permalink Reply by Alyssa K on March 25, 2011 at 9:31am

Asia,

That is exactly the article I have seen before; It's a good one.

Yes, lice are better (easier to manage and get rid of). I have spotted them on my girls recently too. I usually spot them first crawing on the eyelids (I hold my girls a lot), and when I pick them up I always check the scruff of their neck - they can't reach there to pick them off. I got some DE from Laura and I haven't seen them since, but that doesn't mean they are gone.

I would caution anyone using the DE Laura has got that it totally decimated my bare hands the first time I handled it. I recommend gloves! Put the DE on the girls (getting their vent and neck and under wings if possible but avoiding their face) as well as wherever they dust bathe and roost (in the coop).

And bathing is still a good way to lighten the load of a seriously heavy lice infestation. If its really bad it can cause your girls to get anemic, sickly, and weak. It would have to be REALLY bad (unchecked) to kill them; that's why its so important to have dust baths available and DE or wood ash around to prevent them.

If you decide to bathe, I will help you. Probably not necessary unless its really really bad though.

Permalink Reply by Laura Arp on March 26, 2011 at 8:14am

Oops yes everyone please us gloves when you use the DE - I also recommend a mask if you puff it around a lot. It is super dusty and not meant to be inhaled. A scarf around the mouth + nose works too. My bag is still not even half way gone so if anyone needs more just contact me.