As the weather warms up, your flock will be exposed to more critters outdoors and possibly even in their coop. Mites and lice are fairly common parasites for a flock to pick up while running around outside. Parasites live on the surface of skin and feed off the blood of their host. Though no one wants to have an infestation issue, there are many ways to treat your chickens before the problem gets severe. Here’s a helpful guide to identify, treat, and prevent parasites from hurting your flock.
Step 1: Identify
The first step to treating a chicken with mites or lice is to identify when they’re present! Here are some signs that your chicken might have parasites:
- Decrease in egg production
- Dirty-looking feathers
- Pale comb
- Change in appetite
- Feather pulling
- Weight loss
- Scabs or redness on skin
- Bald spots
- Blood smears on legs
- Reluctant to roost
If you notice a combination of these symptoms in one or all of your chickens, it’s time to investigate further. Be sure to wear gloves when handling your chickens. To inspect each chicken individually, you’ll want to separate the feathers and scan their skin. Parasites tend to hang around the base of the feathers and under the wings. If you find any clumps of feathers or lumps on the feather shafts, you’re probably dealing with mites of some sort.
Step 2: Treat
Now that you’ve confirmed you have intruders, it’s time to treat your flock. If you’re looking for a natural approach, you can try bathing your chickens using a quality liquid dish soap and warm water. Soak them for 5-10 minutes, then pat them dry with a towel or take them outside to dry off in the sun if it’s warm enough out. Once you’re done, check under their feathers to see if you have any survivors. This method can typically cure a minor case of parasites.
Other options for treating your flock for parasites are garden dust, food-grade Diometacious Earth, poultry protector spray, or antiparasitic drugs (such as Ivermectin). Garden dust and DE can be used similarly, by dusting each chicken to suffocate the mites.
You can also fill a bag with DE and place your chickens inside while only leaving the head exposed. Gently shake the bag to distribute the dust throughout the feathers. This method prevents accidental ingestion or inhalation. Protector spray can be sprayed directly on chickens and found in stores. Antiparasitic drugs must be prescribed by a veterinarian.
Step 3: Treat The Coop
Make sure you’re wearing a face mask, gloves, and have all your skin covered when dealing with treatment of parasites. If you caught the problem early enough to prevent an outbreak among your entire flock, that’s great! But you’ll still have to treat each chicken individually and clean your coop in order to prevent re-infestation.
To clean your coop, remove all your birds and perform a thorough cleanse of all areas where your flock hangs out. You can use garden dust or Diometacious Earth by spreading it all over any areas your chickens roost, play, or frequent. Poultry spray works similarly, just requiring you to clean then spray the entire area. Burn the old bedding and replace it with fresh, completely new bedding.
Step 4: Prevent
If you want to avoid this situation all-together, it’s a good idea to get a preventative care plan in place! Start by adding a dust-bathing area to your yard. Dust baths are a chicken’s natural way to clean and rid themselves of mites and lice. This method is very effective and requires very little from you! If you don’t provide a dusting area, your chickens will probably find one themselves. But if you want to learn more about the benefits of dust baths or how to make one for your flock, read this.
Clean your coop regularly and thoroughly, disposing of loose feathers that might carry hatching eggs. Limit visits from outside poultry-keepers, and always quarantine new birds before introducing them to your flock. You never really know what the living conditions were like at the previous coop!
Regularly checking your chickens for mites and lice will help you catch the problem before it gets serious. Parasitic infestations can lead to deadly consequences if not taken seriously, so check your flock often. Overall, simply keeping your coop clean and weekly check-ins can go a long way in preventing these pesky pests!