Take part in study on PFAS 'forever chemicals' in eggs

[AndreaT]

Piper has had a very dirty bottom for a few days now. I checked on it today and it was a really big clump so I decided to give her a bath. To say she was unhappy is an understatement but I managed in the end. Whilst I was rinsing her off I noticed little clusters of what look like brown eggs around the base of her bottom feathers. So now she has a clean bottom but I'm thinking she's picked up lice! I didn't see any moving around on her and I've checked Fizz who she house shares with and I couldn't see any lice/eggs on her.

 

I've cleaned their with Nettex Total Mite Kill (ready made solution), I'll put some Diatom in the new bedding once everything's dry and I'll powder them both tonight once they're sleepy.

 

Does this sound like mites and is there anything else I should be doing? If I can get some Mite Spray from the pet shop can I use that on them or do I need to go to the vets on Monday for something stronger?

 

Thanks.

[Plum]

I'd spray her with Johnsons mite spray, that'll kill any. It's a good preventative as well so won't do any harm but you do need to not eat the eggs for I think 5 days.

[AndreaT]

Thanks Plum.

 

I got what I thought was the mite spray but I picked up the small animal insecticidal spray instead http://www.monsterpetsupplies.co.uk/p-19973-johnsons-small-animal-insecticidal-spray-extra-150ml.aspx.

It was the only type they had, would this be ok to use?

[Plum]

Its the spray with permethrin in that I've used. I really don't know if that one works.

[AndreaT]

Thank you.

 

This one has permethrin in too so I'll give it a go. I feel like I need to be doing something to help her, so fingers crossed it'll work,

[The Dogmother]

Sounds like Northern Fowl Mites to me - I'd give her two sprays a week apart. Bear in mind that while many vets recommend it, it's not licensed for use on poultry in the UK.

[AndreaT]

Thanks DM, I have done a quick google search for NFM and the brown eggs certainly look more like the ones Piper has on her then the normal mites. Needless to say I am now very itchy and very worried!

 

Do I need to spray Fizz too even though she looked clean? And would it be worth bathing Piper again, I bought some Johnsons Insecticidal shampoo for small animals which kills mites, lice and fleas?

 

Why do these things always happen at the worst time? I'm going away tomorrow and won't be back until Sunday, not a good time for my neighbour to be chicken sitting!

[The Dogmother]

I would treat both of them, repeating the treatment at weekly intervals until it has cleared. You will need to treat the housing too; Total Mite Kill concentrate will do it then dust with Buz Busters powder.

 

I would look into a preventative treatment for the chooks too.