[otto]

Hi all, new to the poultry forum, but I have all my piggie questions answered on the pig forum so I hope you can help.

I had a nasty infection of red mites last year but eradicated them with persistent dusting as well as pressure washing twice a week after applying loads of the pink stuff.

Anyway, all good until a week ago, so I have treated in the same way and think I have nipped this one in the bud. However, when inspecting the vent/bum on one of the birds, there were loads of small white mites...much larger than red mites...around 2-3mm long. Any ideas on how best to treat and what are they?

[Hopewell]

Red mites live in the house and come out at night to feed on the birds. Other types of mite will live both in the house and on the birds. One possibility for these mites is northern fowl mite. Whatever they are you need to treat the birds and the house. Obviously whatever you did for red mites will be suitable for these mites as well. Treating the birds will be louse powder, ivomec injections (cant eat eggs for a week) or some people use Frontline flea spray although it is not licensed.

[Miss Piggy]

Hi,

Its likely that they are common lice by the sound of it. You can often find them up around there neck and on other parts of the body. A general organic lice powder or Diatom earth powder ( no egg withdrawal needed wnith both) should get rid of them. You need to give them a thorough dusting in the powder all over their bodies, round there necks, under there wings around the tops of the legs included. I put some in the dust bath that they make as well, so that when they dust bath they gwt the powder onto rhemselves and it kills any lice that may come off them when they dustbath. One of the reasons hens dustbath is natures way of helping to rid themselves of any nasties that may be lurking. Good luck, they are not as serious usually as redmite or as difficult to irradicate.   

[otto]

Thanks both...will get some powder and give it a go.....