Mites & Lice

Don’t get alarmed if your chickens get mites. Everyone’s chickens have them. It is going to happen, and it will happen. The first symptom you may see is a dirty bottom/missing feathers. Any time I see that, it’s an instant reaction to inspect the chicken. (They may just have a fluffy butt and when they poop, they can’t miss it. Those cases, just trim the fluff out to make it easier.)

The first thing you want to do is figure out what type of mite they have. There are many different kinds of mites out there. The one I have dealt with the most is northern fowl mites. They are tiny little black dots that are usually found around the vent.

Treating the coop:

1. Clean out all bedding and either trash it or burn it. Don’t put it in your compost.

2. Spray your chicken coop with Elector PSP or permethrin. Make sure this is dry before moving to the next step.

3. Add your bedding of choice. I use pine shavings, you can use cedar shavings, they are just more expensive. Make sure your chickens do not go into the coop until they have been treated.

Treating chickens:

You can do Elector PSP or an Ivermectin mix. I have a mix that was given to me by a dear chicken friend from Hayward Hens that I will be giving the recipe below. You will want to spray around the vent, back of neck (between shoulder blade area) and under each wing. The Elector PSP can be used every other week. The ivermectin mix can be used daily.

Treating the run:

You will want to rake out whatever you can out of the run and get it down to dirt. Making sure to remove all droppings and feathers. You can then spray the area and any items with the Elector PSP. I also sprinkle diatomaceous earth all over the run, especially in the areas they dust bathe. This can be done again in two weeks as well. Personally, when i notice that the DE has been spread out, i spread more on top after they have all gone to bed.

Some will say not to use DE and others swear by it. I have been using it for a few months and everyone seems fine. I also spoke with a very educated poultry farmer and they use it as well. So it’s completely up to you on if you want to use DE or Barn lime.

Ivermectin Mix from Hayward Hens

2 oz of ivermectin

16oz of water

10 drops of each 100% essential oil oregano & Peppermint are the main, you can also add lemongrass or clove oil