The Duck Thread

[KAZROB]

Oh and what are 'chiggers' never have heard of them, maybe they are know as something else here in AUS

 

[PrayingMantis]

Chiggers are a type of mite that in early spring the larvae hatch and find a host to snack on then fall off leaving you with a terrible itching bite for nearly 2 weeks or more. They are not like the mites poultry get. Pretty harmless just very annoying for about a month! Kids and I just scratch till we bleed!

 

[KAZROB]

Yes, I just looked them up! Get some Guinea fowl they love to clear the land of these terrible things, I have guinea fowl and they do a wonderful job of getting rid of insects and things and I love having them around! its natural and chemical free and safe,,,

 

[subhanalah]

Chiggers are a type of mite that in early spring the larvae hatch and find a host to snack on then fall off leaving you with a terrible itching bite for nearly 2 weeks or more. They are not like the mites poultry get. Pretty harmless just very annoying for about a month! Kids and I just scratch till we bleed!

ammonia on the bites is supposed to take the sting out.
My grandmother used to say to cover it with alcohol to smother them. Not sure if that's accurate, but the alcohol did take the sting out. It may have been grandmother magic, lol.

 

[PrayingMantis]

Well I always thought they stayed attached but I was reading that by the time you itch they are long gone! We use to use fingernail polish after we scratch the itch open. Personally, I think there is a critter still in there! Why do they itch more at night? Eeewww! How can you tell if it's a different mite or if my ducks have mites?

 

[subhanalah]

Well I always thought they stayed attached but I was reading that by the time you itch they are long gone! We use to use fingernail polish after we scratch the itch open. Personally, I think there is a critter still in there! Why do they itch more at night? Eeewww! How can you tell if it's a different mite or if my ducks have mites?

ducks don't typically come down with mites. Probably has to do with how dense and oiled their feathers are. I'm pretty sure if your ducks had mites, you'd know it.

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

I'm sure this question has been answered but, what kind of ducks are friend land easy. I live in Maine so it gets cold, I have chickens too. I'm looking for a breed that's friendly and pretty easy to take care of. Only looking to get no more than 4-6 ducks. My kids have been dying for some. I have started looking for rare breeds of chickens and I am thinking that I'd like to continue with rare ducks. Any ideas??

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

@gingermidget
X2 that does not scream excess protein to me... Although too much protein could result in Angel Wing or even overweight... But that pic looks like neither. Supplement vitamins asap

@subhanalah I have also read the ammonia tip for bug bites. Personally I use white vinegar. It works.

 

[PrayingMantis]

So today i used duct tape over each bite and it hasent itched all day! I am a nurse so my thought is that it's not being aggravated by touch since it's covered so less histamine response so less itching! Still pretty grossed out by reading about so many different kinds of mites! Dog mites, rabbit mites, fowl mites, rodent mites...all can accidentally snack on people! Eeewww! Just happy the ducks don't look to be affected from what I can see.

 

[Amiga]

Where I grew up, down south, we painted clear nail polish over chigger bites to suffocate them. Once my cousin was so desperate, and she only had bright red nail polish, and well, it looked scary, but the itchy went away - she had several blood-red (nail polish) blobs on her legs for a few days.