UCP Episode 015: The Politics of Chickens

Red Mite by Arenamontanus

Lice and mites are creepy-crawlies that can torment your birds and cause them serious suffering, physical ailment and in extreme cases, lead to the death of your chickens. There are many things to know about chicken lice and mites such as: how to detect these creepy-crawlies; how to treat for these pests; and how to prevent infestation in the first place.

Video with lots of pictures of live lice and lice egg sacks on a hen (Icky!):

Poultry lice and mites are a common ailment for any chicken owner to have deal with. Lice and mites are easily transferred from bird to bird. Typically lice is introduced to your flock when you add a new, already infested bird to the group. This might happen when you get new birds to add to your flock and were unaware that the new chicken had a lice or mite problem. You might also bring home lice or mites on your bird if you take a bird to a location which exposed it to other birds outside of its own flock – such as at a chicken show. It takes very little contact with another chicken for your chicken to catch their lice and/or mites. Quarantine protocols are essential to preventing outbreaks in your coop whenever you are bring a new or exposed chicken back home. A good quarantine protocol will last for at least two weeks and keep the suspect birds away from the main flock.

Video of poor chicken completely infested with mites (Yuck!):

Mites are commonly brought into your coop through wild animals. Little sparrows or squirrels sneaking into your coop to snack on chicken feed are very possibly leaving behind mites to infect your flock and coop. Because you never know where and when mites might strike in your flock – it is important to carefully observe your birds for symptoms of pests. Some of the most common symptoms of lice or mite infestation are: feather loss, irritated looking skin, excessive preening or scratching, head shaking, lethargy, anemia, pink looking combs and/or waddles and stopped egg-laying. Even if you don’t observe these symptoms, it is still a good practice to regularly inspect your flock for pests. The most common locations for lice to be found on a chicken are around the vent area or under the wings. Mites are usually found on the neck, back, belly and upper legs of the chicken’s body. Keep in mind that the red mites do not live on the birds, but rather inside the coop and simply feed upon their victims as they sleep. Therefore, you may have a mite problem and yet not find mites upon the bird itself.

Video showing the typical size of red mites (small, but nasty):

If you do find mites on your bird, the problem is probably worse than it looks. According to Laura John, a poultry farmer with a BS in Poultry Science, in her article “Controlling Mites in Your Poultry Flock,” the following index can be used to estimate mite infestation levels within your flock:

“Detecting and monitoring the mite population level is an important factor for effective control. A minimum of 10 randomly selected birds should be examined for mites weekly. Infestation levels can be estimated by blowing on the bird’s feathers and counting the mites that are immediately seen. The following index can be used to estimate mite infestation levels:

• 5 mites counted = Bird may be carrying from 100 to 300 mites

• 6 mites counted = Bird may be carrying from 300 to 1,000 mites (light infestation)

• 7 mites counted = Bird may be carrying from 1,000 to 3,000 mites – small clumps of mites seen on skin and feathers (moderate infestation)

• 8 mites counted = Bird may be carrying from 3,000 to 10,000 mites – accumulation of mites on skin and feathers (moderate to heavy infestation)

• 9 mites counted = Bird may be carrying 10,000 to 32,000 or more mites – numerous large clumps of mites seen on skin and feathers; skin pocketed with scabs (heavy infestation)”

The heavier the infestation, the harder it will be to treat and defeat these pests.

Natural remedies can usually solve a chicken lice and/or mite outbreak. The most useful and popular organic treatment is Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.).

Neem Oil made from the fruit and nuts of the Neem Tree in India is another preferred method of organically treating lice and mites on your hens and in the coop.

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