What to do about mites/lice in chickens
Hi all,
Last night when do chicken chores. I saw a little white-looking something. I am guessing it was either a mite or a louse. Can anyone advise me on what this is and what to do about it?
Thanks
Carter
craigmartin
Saturday, August 20th, 2022 Lice are brown and the mites very tiny and greyish. Where did you see the white something? Was it on the hen or on the perches? What is white is the clumps of lice eggs that can be at the base of the feathers usually around the vent. The mites don't live on the hen. They live in the crevices and ends of perches. There will be a grey ash like substance if you check. They come out at night and feast on the hens blood so in the morning they will be red hence the name red mite. "Smite"is a good powder to use if you do have these.
Joseph lawler
Monday, August 22nd, 2022 Diatomaceous Earth is very good, and cheap too. I even use it on the dogs, and in their kennels. Works great.
nedzer
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022 I saw the white something on one of my roosters. I am not sure how white it actually was. But I am pretty sure I have mites because I think I may have seen them on the chickens and I think I saw them on parts of the pen. Also at least one of my hens has white things on her feathers and or skin around her eye area. I am assuming that these could be eggs from mites or lice.
I don't really have the time and probably not the money either to get rid of the mites and or lice. So I guess I will ride it out for the time being and see what happens. If things become to bad I may just have to end my chicken project.
craigmartin
Sunday, August 28th, 2022 I never cease to be amazed craigmartin why you always ask for advice / help and then choose to ignore it!
Joseph lawler
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022 I never cease to be amazed craigmartin why you always ask for advice / help and then choose to ignore it!
Gotta agree 100%.
Riding it out is not an option , it will only make a bad situation worse.!!!
Desy
Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 At least leave a wheelbarrow of dry earth or sand there and they will hop into it and let them take care of them selves.dust bathing is how they rid them selves of mites and lice!!
roostercroweburn
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 You can also spray the walls and perches of their roost with a little jayes fluid mixed in water.And when your cleaning out the coop you can spray the floor then.
roostercroweburn
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 What is this jayes fluid you mentioned and where would I find it, roostercroweburn?
When the chickens are let out, and when it is dry enough. The chickens have plenty of room to dustbathe.
craigmartin
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022 It's a disinfectant and you can get in any big supermarket or hardware store or farm store.Just about any where.
roostercroweburn
Sunday, September 4th, 2022 Joseph lawler and Desy 👍🏽 100percent agree
vmulvany
Sunday, September 4th, 2022 If you have any fly spray you could use that in the house, it will kill all insects, just make sure it airs out before the hens go back in.
Pam
Tuesday, September 6th, 2022 Some people don't understand why I ask for advice about things and then don't accept it very readily. But the reason I do this is probably mostly because I am trying to make my chickens at least somewhat profitable. And to do this I have to be careful how much money I put into my chickens. I also can't spend a huge amount of time taking care of them because I have other things to do, so these two factors limit what advice I accept about my chickens. If my chickens are going to be unprofitable or if they are going to use up too much of my time I will likely just get rid of them.
I am very appreciative of all the advice people give and the time they take to give it. I just have to pick and choose if I follow the advice and what advice I follow.
I am not trying to offend anyone by what I say or do. If I have please send me a pm about it.
Thanks
Carter
craigmartin
Saturday, September 10th, 2022 I think if you don't want to 1 invest the money in your chickens, plus 2 not invest much of your time than your endeavour is not going to be very successful.
I've spent the last 8years building up my stock and reputation, traveled Ireland and England to get the chickens I wanted and have been breeding and selling successfully for 7 of these years, I picked the chickens I loved because it was more about something I loved than about money, but it is of course great to get a bit of money out of it, not much of a profit as its a hobby and I put the money back into it.
But now as my human family has expanded I now don't have the time to spend with my chicken family so I'm having to cut back totally, as I don't have the time they need to look after them as they need.
I hate to say this, but if your in it solely for the money your prob better of cutting your loses now and maybe look at something to sell that isn't a living creature, this way you won't have to invest much money or time into it.
No harm in asking for advice, that's why forums like this are so good, but it kind of sounds like you know it all already.
vmulvany
Saturday, September 10th, 2022
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What to do about mites/lice in chickens
Hi all,
Last night when do chicken chores. I saw a little white-looking something. I am guessing it was either a mite or a louse. Can anyone advise me on what this is and what to do about it?
Thanks
Carter
Saturday, August 20th, 2022
Lice are brown and the mites very tiny and greyish. Where did you see the white something? Was it on the hen or on the perches? What is white is the clumps of lice eggs that can be at the base of the feathers usually around the vent. The mites don't live on the hen. They live in the crevices and ends of perches. There will be a grey ash like substance if you check. They come out at night and feast on the hens blood so in the morning they will be red hence the name red mite. "Smite"is a good powder to use if you do have these.
Monday, August 22nd, 2022
Diatomaceous Earth is very good, and cheap too. I even use it on the dogs, and in their kennels. Works great.
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2022
I saw the white something on one of my roosters. I am not sure how white it actually was. But I am pretty sure I have mites because I think I may have seen them on the chickens and I think I saw them on parts of the pen. Also at least one of my hens has white things on her feathers and or skin around her eye area. I am assuming that these could be eggs from mites or lice.
I don't really have the time and probably not the money either to get rid of the mites and or lice. So I guess I will ride it out for the time being and see what happens. If things become to bad I may just have to end my chicken project.
Sunday, August 28th, 2022
I never cease to be amazed craigmartin why you always ask for advice / help and then choose to ignore it!
Tuesday, August 30th, 2022
I never cease to be amazed craigmartin why you always ask for advice / help and then choose to ignore it!
Gotta agree 100%.
Riding it out is not an option , it will only make a bad situation worse.!!!
Wednesday, August 31st, 2022
At least leave a wheelbarrow of dry earth or sand there and they will hop into it and let them take care of them selves.dust bathing is how they rid them selves of mites and lice!!
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022
You can also spray the walls and perches of their roost with a little jayes fluid mixed in water.And when your cleaning out the coop you can spray the floor then.
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022
What is this jayes fluid you mentioned and where would I find it, roostercroweburn?
When the chickens are let out, and when it is dry enough. The chickens have plenty of room to dustbathe.
Saturday, September 3rd, 2022
It's a disinfectant and you can get in any big supermarket or hardware store or farm store.Just about any where.
Sunday, September 4th, 2022
Joseph lawler and Desy 👍🏽 100percent agree
Sunday, September 4th, 2022
If you have any fly spray you could use that in the house, it will kill all insects, just make sure it airs out before the hens go back in.
Tuesday, September 6th, 2022
Some people don't understand why I ask for advice about things and then don't accept it very readily. But the reason I do this is probably mostly because I am trying to make my chickens at least somewhat profitable. And to do this I have to be careful how much money I put into my chickens. I also can't spend a huge amount of time taking care of them because I have other things to do, so these two factors limit what advice I accept about my chickens. If my chickens are going to be unprofitable or if they are going to use up too much of my time I will likely just get rid of them.
I am very appreciative of all the advice people give and the time they take to give it. I just have to pick and choose if I follow the advice and what advice I follow.
I am not trying to offend anyone by what I say or do. If I have please send me a pm about it.
Thanks
Carter
Saturday, September 10th, 2022
I think if you don't want to 1 invest the money in your chickens, plus 2 not invest much of your time than your endeavour is not going to be very successful.
I've spent the last 8years building up my stock and reputation, traveled Ireland and England to get the chickens I wanted and have been breeding and selling successfully for 7 of these years, I picked the chickens I loved because it was more about something I loved than about money, but it is of course great to get a bit of money out of it, not much of a profit as its a hobby and I put the money back into it.
But now as my human family has expanded I now don't have the time to spend with my chicken family so I'm having to cut back totally, as I don't have the time they need to look after them as they need.
I hate to say this, but if your in it solely for the money your prob better of cutting your loses now and maybe look at something to sell that isn't a living creature, this way you won't have to invest much money or time into it.
No harm in asking for advice, that's why forums like this are so good, but it kind of sounds like you know it all already.
Saturday, September 10th, 2022