yes.....I'm afraid i have to ask another stupid question!

[charlielavin]

Just checked the chickens and one of my black rocks was crawling with something. I think it might be red mite, but best thought I'd check. I got heavy with the diatom just in case!

They were sort of white with an orange tinge, at first I thought they were eggs but then they started moving around. They were about 1mm long. The chickens had been in the house, but not for long (not more than 15 minutes) before I inspected them. Am I right in thinking that red mite can be white ish before they feed?

If it isn't RM, what might it be?

I'm gutted I've been rigorously been cleaning out the house in an attempt to keep the blighters out!

Many thanks in advance!

Love charliex

 

[Tim]

Hi Charlie,

Not a stupid question at all

It's more likely they have lice -they can be that colour and are fast moving, found around the base of the feathers.

Red Mite are rarely found on the birds (unless you check them in the dark...) you will normally find them at the end of and under perches as well as in other cracks in the house. If you are unsure, wipe a white tissue along the underside of the perch at night and look for red streaks on the tissue (the RM crawl along the perch to get to the birds in the dark).

Here is a short article on Lice on Chickens on the site that gives a little more information.

Good Luck
Tim

 

[charlielavin]

Thanks Tim!
I did the tissue paper test last night and there was no blood to be seen.

Cor I'm learning things all of the time!

What is the best course of action to deal with this? I gave them a dusting last night with diatom, should I leave it for a week now to break the cycle or should I continue to give them a dusting for a couple of nights??

I'm so ashamed, I can't believe they have lice, the poor things. How might this have happened? Could they get them from straw? I used some barley straw we'd been keeping in a barn in their run, I can't think how else they might have got them (though they are free range - so anything I suppose).

Many thanks!

Love Charliex

 

[Davidd]

Hello, yes, dust them with lice powder or diatom- if you use lice powder make sure it's the one that can be put on birds and not just in the coop- do them every 7 days for a few weeks- to break the cycle- they can catch them free ranging- or wild birds can bring them in- they are easy to get rid of- just the egg cases are hard to remove from the birds- these are grey clumps at the base of the feathers- normally under the vent and between the legs- you can cut them off if they are really infested. Just check them every so often- to make sure they have not caught them again. Don't be ashamed- most poultry keepers birds get them at some point- just like most kids get headlice :shock: :shock:
regards, David

 

[Tim]

Half my lot end up with lice in the summer months at some point... it's one of those things :roll:

Some people use flea treatments (spot on) - but these aren't licensed for poultry so it's usually better to go for a safe one like diatom unless they are really bad.

It will take a few applications and as David says at least every 7 days as their lifecycle (from egg to laying eggs themselves) is 7 days so you want to break this to stop them multiplying.

Giving your girls a place to dust bath too will help - you can pop diatom in this... let them get it into the right places

Good Luck Charlie.