Most poultry owners have faced the wrought of chicken mites. The issue is that mites are hard to see, and they multiply quickly, giving them the upper hand. However, the more significant part is discovering that your flock is mite-infested. Once you do so, knowing how to get rid of mites in chickens becomes easier. But you will need to be persistent and patient as it takes time.
What are Chicken Mites?
Chicken or poultry mites are tiny external parasites that infest chickens and other birds. They are more active in warm weather and dormant in cold climates.
Poultry mites feed on birds. They bite, and some feed on the blood of the host chicken. They cause lots of discomfort. Chicken mites can also lead to feather loss, low egg production, anemia, weight loss, and in extreme cases, death.
Your chickens can get mites from other infested chickens, wild birds, and rodents. You could also transport them on your shoes or clothes to the coop.
Common Types of Chicken Mites
While there are over 43,000 different types of mites, we have listed a few of the most common types of chicken mites. This way you will know how to get rid of mites in chickens.
1. Northern Fowl Mites
The Northern fowl mite is the most common type of poultry mite. They are bloodsucking parasites; hence, they feed on the blood of chickens. These mites live in chickens’ feathers, making them hard to see.
You can identify infested chickens by parting their feathers in the shaft area. You may notice crusty skin and dirty-looking feathers. Seeing dark specks on the upper surface of eggs is also a sign of Northern fowl mites.
2. Red Mites
Chicken mites or red mites don’t always live on birds. They come out to feed at night and go into hiding during the day. During the day, they stay in the roost, nest boxes, and in cracks in the chicken house.
Red mites are more active during warm periods. In cold months, they are inactive and can survive for about 8-9 months without feeding. They suck the blood of birds, and heavy infestations can lead to decreased egg production, anemia, and death.
3. Scaly Leg Mites
Scaly leg mites only affect the feet of birds. They are difficult to see because they burrow under the scales of birds’ feet. Their activities cause irritation that can leave your chicken’s feet looking crusty. The feet become thickened and raised, and this can cause lameness.
Symptoms of Chicken Mite Infestation
The symptoms will depend on the type of mite. Here are some symptoms to watch out for:
- Lethargy
- Dull or broken feathers
- Loss of feather
- Biting or pulling of feathers
- Intense preening
- Weight loss
- Dirty vent feathers
- Scabs on their legs and feet
- Pale comb and wattle
- Loss of appetite
- Decrease in egg production
- Raised irregular scales on feet
- Unwillingness to roost at night.
How to Treat Mites in Chicken
Mites can be very difficult to treat. They multiply quickly, so it will take weeks of treatment to get rid of them completely. There are natural and chemical methods of treating mite infestation.
Using the wrong chemical can be harmful to you and your environment. Hence, if you have to apply chemicals, go for those approved for use on chickens. Here are some treatments to employ for how to get rid of mites in chickens:
Clean and Dry the Coop:
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Burn the Bedding:
If your chicken has mites, the bedding needs to go. Burn the bedding and replace it with fresh ones. Ensure it’s different from what you stored in the coop because they may also have mites. Get completely new bedding and get rid of everything else. Burning will destroy all the mites and their eggs.
Use Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE):
The safety of DE use has been discussed. Some people feel it harms the environment and the chicken’s respiratory tract. Others find it very effective. Whichever ground you stand on, use it sparingly. You can spread it around the coop and dust-infested chickens.
Increase Iron Intake:
Northern fowl mites and red mites can cause anemia. Increasing your flock’s iron intake will help prevent anemia. Add iron-rich food like spinach, kale, sweet potato, oatmeal, cornmeal, and meat scraps.
Chemical treatment:
You can use a prescribed chemical treatment to eliminate mites. Also, make sure you use it as directed. Permethrin is one of the safe chemical products for chicken mite treatment.
Vaseline Application:
Vaseline can be used to treat scaly leg mites. Spread thick layers of vaseline on the legs and feet of your flock. The vaseline will penetrate the scale and suffocate the mites. This method takes time, so you will have to reapply several times.
Predator Mites:
Androlis mite is a predator mite that feeds on the red mite. They do not feed on the bird, so they are safe to use. You can purchase Androlis mites as a natural way to get rid of red mites.
NOTE: Even if it’s just one infested chicken, you will need to treat the entire flock to be safer.
How to Prevent Mites in Chicken
- Biosecurity: Preventing mites from gaining access to your coop is the easiest way to prevent mite infestation. If you visit other coops, change your clothes and shoes before entering your coop.
- Another precaution is separating new chickens until you treat them for mites.
- Stop wild birds from approaching your chicken’s house or interacting with them.
- Garlic: Mites don’t seem to like the taste of the blood of chickens that consume garlic. Adding garlic to their water and feed is a natural way to prevent mites from feeding on your flock.
- Provide a Dust Bath Area: A dust bath area for your flock will keep mites off them. Chickens naturally dust themselves to get rid of insects like mites.
Thus, you can keep your flock healthy by creating a dust area made with dry dirt, sand, wood ash, and dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, and mint. Potent herbs send off mites and are also beneficial for chickens.
- Treat the Coop: You should dry your chicken house and treat it regularly. Treat it with wood ash, mite spray, or diatomaceous earth. You can also sprinkle lime. Lime controls mites and is an excellent alternative to DE.
How to Get Rid of Mites in Chickens Conclusion
Mites are common parasites to chickens and other birds, but you can eliminate them. While getting rid of them is tricky, using the right method will bring the desired results. The first step in how to get rid of mites in chickens is cleaning and treating their coop. After doing so, you can treat your flock. Follow the steps above and you will be able to get rid of mites in your chickens. Chicken mites are not usually and issue for us humans but here a short article about it.
Miteinfestaion.com blog was started to help others deal with the problems of Mites, bed bugs, fleas, ticks and other small, often unseen critters that give us problems. We hope these articles are a help to you as you deal with these types of issues. Any product or service we provide on these pages have been proven to work. We are solely reader supported so we may receive a small percentage as an affiliate of Amazon and other companies.