[karlooben]

hi peeps any of you got any pics of mites that can be found in the hen house or even a link please . when i was putting the girls to bed i had 3 mites on my hand , they were tiny had a lightish brown head an what looked like a see though body  :? i am hoping that they are straw mites and not red mites but i cant seem to find any decent sites online .

[agapanthus]

Try this site..

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/pics/poultry_mites.gif&imgrefurl=http://ipm.ncsu.edu/AG369/notes/poultry_mites.html&usg=__Ghb24ppk8gMQxJUpI0xBKF4DLSY=&h=341&w=239&sz=22&hl=en&start=8&tbnid=tYxyuJqmEkhO2M:&tbnh=120&tbnw=84&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchicken%2Bmites%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

[karlooben]

thankyou , although could they have not done the pics in colour      i a not sure if that was what i have seen though .

when is the best time to use the red mite spray i have seen someone where that u have to keep the house closed up for a while before u allow the birds back in is that true .

[Roughlee Handled]

http://s329.photobucket.com/albums/l389/Roughlee_Handled/chicken%20stuff/redspidermite/
http://s329.photobucket.com/albums/l389/Roughlee_Handled/chicken%20stuff/redspidermite/weektwo/

http://s329.photobucket.com/albums/l389/Roughlee_Handled/chicken%20stuff/redspidermite/week%203/

Lots of photos for you  link is the better one.


If you only have one coop like me you do not have a choice.   I would paint the inside with paraffin.   Are you perching bars removable?   I used painters chalk to fill all the cracks in my coop.

[karlooben]

thanks RH  for the pics but they are nothing like what i saw , my perches are not removeable nor are the nest boxes sure wish they were though.

how long did it take for the paraffin to  dry  :?: before u could use the house again.

i have been checking the internet an found other chock sites with roughly the same probelm but they are all saying red mites an using straw is not a good idea as they can also hide in the straw tubes which makes sense i suppose . so do i wait until next wekend an totoally spray the house is jeyes fluid an swap back over to dust with chips, thing is i like the straw and i am sure they do as it keeps them warmer at night also i think i may just take out my next boxes an out up extra perches instead have managed to get hold of some round poles which will be ideal.

[GrannieAnnie]

Red mites are so tiny Karlooben, that you wouldn't be able to differentiate the head and body, I think they are all one piece but don't wuote me on that.  But they really are teeny weeny things!

You mentioned round poles, like curtain poles?  but just make sure they are not too smooth, or you may find the chooks slipping off!!  I''ve got a curtain pole perch that Brian made me for the chicks, but I had to sand all the shiny off before they could get a grip!!!      

[karlooben]

hi GA  , what i saw were defaintly not red mites as i took a close look at them on my hand but tomorw if i see them again i will try my hardest to take a pic on my phone i dont really want to be changing the bedding as i can get my straw for free and also the horses are now on straw for  the winter so i dont have any chips spare now.

as for the poles they are old wooded poles that have been used on a frame for training blackberrys , they are still very usable but will just need a good wipe down an get the muck of them an then to let them dry they should be perfect to use .

[Foxy]

It sounds like you saw some common chicken lice. They tend to live on the chicken as apposed to red mite which live in the nesting material and housing.

Check your birds by parting the feathers and look closely down the shaft of the feathers you will see them particulary around the vent area and under the wing.

To get rid of them dust thouroughly with something like "diatom" and that should get rid of them, repeat a week later to catch any stragglers and eggs that may of hatched,dont worry a mild nuisance to hens but best get it sorted.
 

[karlooben]

thanks for that foxy will look at them later on wil let u know what i find .

[karlooben]

i have looked at a handfull of my girls and i found what looked like little tiny light brown to creamy coloured mites and i found those only on the sick girl at the mo could they possibly be straw mites  :?:  wish i could of taken a pic but doubt i would of been able to they were that small and i only had one pair of hands .

[Vember]

Have you had a look at the pictures on here Looby :?
http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=5250

Might help you identify them :?


Sarah

[karlooben]

it looks like they have lice from what i can tell with the pics on there.

i can get hold of diatom hopfully tomorw afternoon but i may not be able to treat them until the weekend unless i am allowed friday of work as i dont get the daylights hours to do 24 birds, but i do have red mite spray as well that cannot be used on birds but i can do the housing .

thanks for the link sarah that has helped so much