The Poultry Keeper

NobbyNobbs · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:07 am Post subject: red mites i guess?

in the nest under the straw are very small red crawly things. theyre about the size of a full stop and run around very fast. ive only ever seen them in the bottom of the nest and theyre not there every time i clean the coop out. does this sound like red mites? i would've thought they'd be there everytime though. also how can i treat them without a blowtorch... dont much fancy that with a plastic eglu!

nigel · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:02 am Post subject:

Red mites crannies hide in the nooks and crannies of the coop. The red ones are the ones that have been sucking blood. The others will be black or grey.

If you have an eglu don't use a blow torch. Shocked

Eglu's are designed with easy cleaning in mind. Give them a good clean and maybe use one of the mite powders like 'Barrier' in the nest box. My thoughts are that if you don't see them everytime you do not have a permanent colony of them and you're just seeing the initial phases of infestation and are dealing with it. Just keep up the good work.

NobbyNobbs · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:35 pm Post subject:

i drown the eglu in jeyes once a week and make sure i get it absolutely everywhere. its probably not the disinfectant so much as just washing them away. i wont be able to dust the birds as theyre still getting used to being carried around the garden so is there any other way i can get them dosed up? they dont have a dust bath now because its been raining 2 days solid Confused

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2089 Location: norfolk

IME red mite don't move very fast - could it be anything else? Have you checked any of your chickens to see if you can see any "passengers"? I guess as you are so religious about cleaning their won't be time for a mite build up there, so they must be on the hens themselves. I think most on here would advocate the use of Frontline dabbed under each wing and maybe on top of the head too.

NobbyNobbs · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:55 pm Post subject:

frontline cat, dog, puppy... or any of those? i can probably manage to stick stuff on them, they just get a bit iffy if i start pulling them about and Ethel has a vicious peck on her! she's drawn blood many times.

they looked like a darker red version of those red spider things you get on walls in summer, moved around the same speed and were the same size. they didn't look like a tick, at least not like a small version of the ones dogs get. i also wondered if it was something in the straw. we're using different this week so i'll have a poke about and see if they're in there this time.

NannyP · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject:

That makes them at least 3 times bigger than Red mite. Sounds like you have red mite under control....cat Frontline will be weaker than dog I suspect...I don't use it.
Good Luck.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1410 Location: Manchester

I've heard that cat 'spot on' frontline is the best to use on birds but a knowledgeable vet nurse friend of mine said the spray is the better one to use on birds.

Elly · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 356 Location: Norfolk

We got frontline spray for cats when our birds had lice and it worked a treat (vet prescribed) Smile

Since using it we have not had any problems with mites/lice etc and the chooks have been fine. We now treat them 3 monthly, the same as the cats, with one suirt under each wing and one up the knickers (onto skin). We choose to withdraw egg use for 7 days after, but that is a personal decision Very Happy

Keep smilin
Elly

nenee · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 56 Location: north wales

the front line sounds like a great idea, iv just inherited 7 polish chickens which arent too big yet, they came from a coop which had red mites(although the chickens had been sprayed with a solution from the vet)

so im worried that my chickens might have them as i saw a black flea looking thing on one of their necks.

I want to do the frontline do i buy just a cat one do they come in different strengths etc, would i do a drop under each wing and one around the bottom on smaller chickens?

does it kill and prevent red mite/fleas etc as i really dont like the thought of them yukk!!

Smile

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

nenee · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 56 Location: north wales

I know wat u mean, im new to this website and when i read that had visions of a chicken walking round in frilly knickers Laughing

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

We are awful to laugh Sad

this is very serious Sad

nenee · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 56 Location: north wales

i know

but still

i think my chickens may have red mites so need to treat them asap, but iv looked in google and it says its band from being used on chickens as not approved and that the chemicals pass threw to the eggs and can stay in the birds fat for 3 months this then affects the eggs all this time, dont want to be eating pesticides, on cats its not an issue as no eggs?

so confused as it sounds like it really sorts them out

horrible critters Sad

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2299 Location: North Cornwall

Do your perch ends and underside of the perch in proper creosote. Not the stuff sold in DIY stores it must be the full fat stuff. Sorts red mite better than any thing else.

nenee · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 56 Location: north wales

hi ya

my coop is brand new only 2 days old i put red mute powder in corners first before adding wood shavings.

i think they have redmite as saw black flea like thing on one o their necks(they came from a coop where the other chickens had red mites)

where do i get creosote from? do i just paint the coop when iv cleaned it and how long do i leave it to dry before putting the girls back into it?

i want to make sure all red mites delt with before it gets bad

thanks for the advice too Very Happy