getting desperate - externa parasites - nothing works

[chickengeorgeto]

if you know something that may help, please chime in!... our birds are... scratching.... as if they were constantly bitten by something very irritating when they roost at night... I... feel terrible when walking by the coop at night [&]... hear them... kicking and stomping in discomfort...

so far:
1) strip coop and apply DE to coop, birds, dust bathing areas outside
2) treated with ivermectin pour on - once, then repeated after 10 days
3) got Elector PSP and stripped coop and sprayed everything including the ceiling, and the birds
I do want to relieve this stress of parasites on them ASAP, but I don't want liver damage from too much treatment - what would you do???...

You asked so here are my recomendations.
A. DE is completely useless as a control or as a deterrent against anything that threatens chickens.
B. It sounds like you may have more than one external parasite bedeviling your flock.
a. Look into how to control Red or Roost Mites. These vermin live in the structures of the coop and come out after dark to suck the blood of your chickens. As many as 750,000 red mites may attack a single hen in only one night.
b. My solution for controlling Roost mites is to paint the interior portions of the coop or hen house with used motor oil to which is added a little 10% or 40% liquid Permethrin. Use a paint brush and really work this down into the cracks and splits on the roost poles, the lap joints, butt joints, knot holes, in short any place inside the coop that red mites can hide, noon, or breed. The insecticide coupled with the motor oil denies red mites access to the wooden structure for a long time, saving you from having to reapply insecticides as often.
c. Spray all your birds with a Permethrin and water mixture while they are on the roost. This is very easy to do once all your birds are on the roost or in bed. Or if you are not an evening person mix up a few gallons using the instructions for making a Permethrin dip and submerge your birds up to their wing butts or backs.---Good luck
PS: If you are handling your birds in the day time guicky dip their feet (the part with scales are feet not legs) in a small can of kerosene or mineral oil to treat for and prevent scaly leg mites. If you don't have many birds to handle then a liberal coating of Vaseline on each foot should suffice.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The above photo shows Red Mites in their laire. This should show you why used motor oil is such an effective treatment because you are in effect destroying the mites nursery which is the wooden structure of the coop itself.

 

[Kiki]

Permethrin is labeled for both use in the coop and on the birds.

Martin's PERMETHRIN spray

• Kiki
• Mar 22, 2018
• 6
• flies lice mites permethrin

Martin's Horse & Stable Permethrin Spray

• Kiki
• Mar 22, 2018
• flies lice mites permethrin

Permethrin

 

[Folly's place]

I use the Gordon's permethrin liquid concentrate, and it works very well.
It doesn't keep well when diluted if stored in a plastic sprayer, so I mix new if it's more than one week between treatments, as it will be. About a quart does my 13' x22' coop and around forty chickens!
No way am I spreading used motor oil or kerosene out there! It probably works, but not very environmentally friendly, at least.
Permethrin is safe to use as directed. It is toxic to cats at low doses, so keep cats away from it, and out of the coop until it's all very dry.
I don't spray anything outside of the coop and covered run, to limit/ prevent damage to other bugs and critters.
Of course insecticides are toxic, that's how they work! Read and follow directions, use products labeled for the critters and application intended, and be safe.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I haven't used pyrethrin, the organically approved form, because I haven't found it locally, and the Gordon's is so convenient and inexpensive.
Mary

 

[17 chickens]

wow, 17 chickens, that is dedication!
your flock is lucky to have you look out for them!

what did you use to dust? did it work at all?

I don't have a power washer but the dawn dish soap sounds good - I could use a bucket and a sponge

I used livestock dust and still use it every time I clean coops, It is a lot of work for me to get rid of those nasty bugs and to keep them gone with over 300 poultry and counting. You could try to use a garden sprayer, I have also used a 1 part vegetable oil and one tsp of dawn dish soap to 3 parts water. This will smother those nasty bugs!

 

[centrarchid]

I am not keen on suggesting treatments without having an idea what the problem actually is. Very irresponsible to treat blindly. The flashlight suggestion provided by Follys Place is a good start to ID cause. I would be looking for mosquitos.

 

[336White Phoenix]

I had a problem with Red mites I think that's what u call them they come and suck on the blood of the chickens at night anyway it was a chicken tractor type house and I removed the few birds and put them in separated pens and disenfecred them with a powder that my vet told me to try then I took my other coop and took it to a deserted place and sent it up in flames (I did talk to local garde before hand and they gave me the clear) and I've never had a problem since

 

[Kat C]

The stomping is likely roost mites. I recall the night our chickens started stomping. Weird as all get out. An internet search revealed the cause. They go on the chickens in the night and get off them during the day. They can reproduce quite quickly so you can go from a small problem to a big problem almost overnight. When the numbers get large the chickens feel them coming up their legs as they get on the roost and don't like it (who would) In the morning you may see little red crawling things (full of blood) at night you may see little gray crawling things. In any cracks and crevices you will likely see some white stuff which I presume is their little droppings. I check for them by going in the evening and laying my arm on the roost. If there are mites I soon feel little creepy things on my arm and then brush them off.
Next day I spray the roosts with Raid Flea Killer Plus Carpet and Room spray. Usually takes two or three sprayings a few days apart to get rid of them. Might take you more if your birds are at the stomping stage. Concentrate on any cracks or crevices in the roosts where they might hide out during the day. I spray during the day when the chickens are outside and the mites are all on the roost getting ready to reproduce after a night of blood feasting. Never had any chicken get sick from the spraying. I do wear a mask though. Might need to empty out nest boxes, spray them and under them and put in new nesting material. I did have a broody hen almost die from them before I was aware they might be in nest boxes too. So before I set a hen I usually spray the box and put in fresh straw even if I don't see mites.
Some pictures here https://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Health/Dis/redmite.html I haven't found them as hard to control as many sites indicate. More info here. If it is the roost mite as I suspect you do not need to treat your chickens as they don't stay on them during the day.

 

[aart]

we had feather mites in 2014 and they are the devil to get rid of. Did go to a vet and they worked with me to get the right dose for off-label use

The kind that live inside the feather shaft?
Curious how the vet ID'd them.