Run Clips

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

One of my hybrid hens, Butternut, suffered from a severe red mite infestation a while back. Anyway, I treated her with red mite powder twice and the mites appear to have gone

But quite a few red mite eggs still remain on some of the feathers around her vent area and on her tail feathers, and here's my question:

 

Are these eggs going to hatch and cause another infestation? Or are they going to just die and fall off, and if so, when will they fall off?

 

Thanks millions,

 

Mr Rhode Island Red

[jennym]

Hi Mr RIR,

 

I think red mites lay their eggs in cracks/crevices, not on hens, so maybe you're seeing something else - lice or northern fowl mites, perhaps? Pictures here http://ucanr.org/freepubs/docs/8162.pdf

 

But in theory, yes, I think you'll have a hatching (of whatever they are) and have to treat again, unless you can somehow get rid of all the eggs.

[The Dogmother]

I agree, unlikely to be red mites if you can see them/eggs on the birds. As jennym has said, red mites live/breed in the housing and only come onto the birds after dark.

 

Poultry lice are mid-brown critters much like headlice which leave white eggs on the feathers. Northern Fowl Mites (NFM) are tiny black or grey critters which lay grey eggs that look like fag ash on the fluff of a hen.

 

Any eggs, dead or otherwise will remain on the feathers until they are moulted off, you can always trim the feathers off if you prefer.

 

Both can be got rid of by using a preventative treatment such as Ivomec Eprinex* and a spray containing permethrin*; you will need to spray twice a week apart to catch any eggs which hatch out, then keep up a good programme to prevent any further infestations.

 

*not licensed for use on poultry in the UK

[Mr Rhode Island Red]

does this mean that my red mite powder is useless against northern fowl mites and lice?

[Patricia W]

My vet told me not to bother dusting the birds for red mite as they don't live on the chickens - although they can be transported that way. He told me to concentrate on clearing the house - which I did and it worked.

 

I think you have something else too

[The Dogmother]

Red Mite Powder isn't particularly effective against much TBH It does smell divine through!

 

Dusting with Diatom will help, but if you really want to go with the big guns then wash/spray your coop weekly with Total Mite Concentrate then dust with Buz Busters powder. Treat your birds as I have mentioned above and you will keep any problems down to an easily manageable level.

 

I do this every week, use a preventative on the chooks every quarter and rarely have any bug problems now.

[Daphne]

Claret - do you use Poultry Shield at all? If so, do you have a preference between TMC and PS?

[The Dogmother]

I used to use Poultry Shield but tried TMK when it came out and found it to be very effective, so now I just use the products mentioned above. Works well and *touches wood* no red mites for the last couple of year and very few lice or mites on the girls either.

 

Just a newer generation of very effective products.

[Redwing]

I agree with some of the above posters, these are definitely not red mite

 

They could be Northern Fowl mites which leave a cigarette ash type deposit on the base of feathers, these need some tough treatment as they are very persistent, Johnsons mite and lice spray is the best treatment I have found for these, spray every four days for a couple of weeks. Its not licenced for use on poultry but it is effective

 

Lice are easier to get rid of, Diatom will get rid of them or the spray above will too

 

Bathing the bird is the best way to get instant knock back on numbers and should get rid of the eggs, failing that pluck or cut away the worst affected feathers. Dry the bird overnight in the house in a box then do the treatment