What's this?

[jessmorris]

..just to add to the discussion pot about mites..mine have had mites on the body (different from red mites in the coop), and I've always found them between the tail and vent. I've assumed they are northern fowl mite. I used a drop-on for cage birds between the shoulder blades to shift 'em. Just thought I'd mention it. I guess our chooks must pick up a lot of stuff from wild birds.
JM

[RichmondHens]

..just to add to the discussion pot about mites..mine have had mites on the body (different from red mites in the coop), and I've always found them between the tail and vent. I've assumed they are northern fowl mite. I used a drop-on for cage birds between the shoulder blades to shift 'em. Just thought I'd mention it. I guess our chooks must pick up a lot of stuff from wild birds.
JM

That sounds like the common louse JM, that is the most usual place to find them. With a bad infestation you also find clusters of eggs (nits) stuck to the base of the feathers under the vent. A lot of people confuse them with stuck on poo as they don't know what they are looking at. The difference is that dry poo can be rubbed off easily whereas you need to pluck the feather out if it has nits on it.

[jessmorris]

Hmm, I don't know RH, these were very small and dark, not larger and yellowy like lice (had those too!). Nasty whatever they were. Its odd how some birds can have quite bad infestations, and others are hardly affected. Poorly birds can have lots of parasites (I mean poorly from something else not having the blood sucked out of them!).
JM

[polo]

Hmm, I don't know RH, these were very small and dark, not larger and yellowy like lice (had those too!). Nasty whatever they were. Its odd how some birds can have quite bad infestations, and others are hardly affected. Poorly birds can have lots of parasites (I mean poorly from something else not having the blood sucked out of them!).
JM

I would agree Jess, I had three birds rather badly affected but the others were fine - still got the treatment though!

I also thought ours had mites that were small and black but I never actually saw the black specks moving so it could have been soil or similar from dust bathing. I even went as far as to shake some onto some white paper and stand watching like an idiot!

The things we do!!

[jessmorris]

'the things we do'
Yep! - I was collecting up the dark bits of hen poo with an old spoon last week, mixing it up and sending it off to the vet......I like watching my hens mostly. And washing them.