Mites?

[Moony Moon]

Have noticed a couple of mu girls are not roosting on their bars at the moment.
They are both sitting in a nest box each, one of them has sign of a red, featherless bottom starting.

Could this still be mites at this time of year? My other ten girls are happily on their roosting bars, all a bit strange!

Cheers

Dale

[Bramble-Poultry]

could be mites, could be other hens picking on them. Go into the coop at night with a torch. Look into all the nooks and crannies and see if you can see any little mites hanging on in the corners. If you are really brave, stick your head into th ecoop and see if you start itching.

mites will (if present) detect your body heat and be drawn to you. A quick shower will get rid of them for you but a good test.

[Moony Moon]

Yes tonight will be mostly spend in the coop! Will report back, i hope it's not!

[moola]

bare bots can also be caused by lice - the chooks pluck their own feathers out in an itchy kinda way. You can dust them with lice powder or apply spray frontline.

if it is pecking that is going on - you'll need spray every chook with voilet spray or take out naughty chook to sin bin.

[Bramble-Poultry]

to be fair, mite activity should be calming down now with the lower temperatures. as moola says, it could be lice as they live on the host all their lives so take thier warmth from the host animal.

[RichmondHens]

I was always under the impression that lice were less active in the winter, but a recent article I read suggested the opposite. Because of wet weather etc, the hens have less opportunity to dust bathe and therefore can't rid themselves of pests as efficiently as they can in drier weather. Therefore a dust bath in a dry sheltered spot is always a good idea.

[Suechooks]

I was always under the impression that lice were less active in the winter, but a recent article I read suggested the opposite. Because of wet weather etc, the hens have less opportunity to dust bathe and therefore can't rid themselves of pests as efficiently as they can in drier weather. Therefore a dust bath in a dry sheltered spot is always a good idea.

My girls all head for the polytunnel when I let them out to free range! I've left one of the beds dry and unplanted so they have great fun! Only trouble is everything in there is covered in dust!

[Moony Moon]

The dust bath thing may be something as it has been very wet round here and i have been struggling to keep the run dry. They do have some cover, but not a dust bath, they were using my raised beds but i have not been letting them out so much now the dark nights are here.

Will i be able to see the lice? Are they the ones that you can spot round the vent area?

[Suechooks]

I think they scuttle about - under wings where there's bare skin- and they lay eggs around the feather base so you'd see them stuck to them around the vent.

[RichmondHens]

The dust bath thing may be something as it has been very wet round here and i have been struggling to keep the run dry. They do have some cover, but not a dust bath, they were using my raised beds but i have not been letting them out so much now the dark nights are here.

Will i be able to see the lice? Are they the ones that you can spot round the vent area?

Yes. Look around and under the vent and between the legs. Part the feathers down to the skin and you should see amber coloured lice scuttling for cover. Also there may be white egg masses cemented to the feather shaft close to the skin. On first glance you may think it's poo but they don't come off as easily. You will need to pluck these off if you see them, and thoroughly powder the birds with louse powder.

[Moony Moon]

Thanks for all the advice!

[moola]

I use old plastic wendy house in my runs - it gives great protection from the wind/rain and doubles up as a dry/dust bath area. I shove a couple of sections of straw in too so the chooks can get themselves off the damp ground.

[Moony Moon]

Nipped home in my lunch to do a full on inspection in decent light. No signs on any of the girls of lice.
I think it may be the start of moulting..........does this happen at this time of year? They all have little baby feathers sprouting......feel a bit stupid now!

A couple do seem to have a cold, but i gues i should just keep an eye on them.

[Suechooks]

Nipped home in my lunch to do a full on inspection in decent light. No signs on any of the girls of lice.
I think it may be the start of moulting..........does this happen at this time of year? They all have little baby feathers sprouting......feel a bit stupid now!

A couple do seem to have a cold, but i gues i should just keep an eye on them.

My Bluebelle currently looks like an ex-batt she's moulting for Wales and only started last week - thought a fox had got in there were so many feathers and 2 others the same age are looking distinctly scruffy so I guess the answer is "yes they do moult at this time of year"! It's supposed to be the end of summer but hey........!
Put some garlic in their water or garlic powder in food for the cold (or Respite) if not better in a couple of days

[Eco-Chic]

Nipped home in my lunch to do a full on inspection in decent light. No signs on any of the girls of lice.
I think it may be the start of moulting..........does this happen at this time of year? They all have little baby feathers sprouting......feel a bit stupid now!

A couple do seem to have a cold, but i gues i should just keep an eye on them.

No need to feel stupid. What is stupid is the chooks deciding to get nekkid at this time of year

If you hadn't raised the issue I would never have known that the wet weather can encourage lice (thanks Richmond). I shall make sure my chooks have regular access to a dust bath with diatom in it.