Hobbies And Interests
Appearance
Chicken mites have a yellow-gray color if they have not recently eaten and are red if they have just finished a meal. The mites are very small before a meal, about the size of a speck of black pepper. As they suck the blood from the chicken, they become larger. It can be difficult to identify these mites unless there is a group of them because of their size. You also should inspect your chickens for masses of eggs, which the chicken mites lay on the chicken's feathers.
Location
While some parasites remain on their host, feeding at all times of the day, chicken mites typically only feed on the chickens while they sleep. This makes them difficult to find on the chickens. Unless you check your chickens after they have gone to sleep, you must look for them in the chicken coop instead. The chicken mites leave their host after eating and hide themselves in cracks and crevices in the chicken coop to wait for their next feeding. They also may hide in the chicken nests or under piles of dirt and chicken droppings.
Symptoms
Chickens inflicted with chicken mites eventually will exhibit symptoms of the mite bites. Because the mites suck the blood from the chickens, they are stealing some of the nutrients that the chicken needs to be healthy. Chickens who are the victims of chicken mites lay fewer eggs of reduced quality, grow slowly, lose their appetite and may even die.
Treatment
Once you discover that your chicken coop is infested with chicken mites, you need to treat the coop rather than the chickens because the mites do not stay on the chickens. Use pesticide sprays in the chicken coop, both on the bedding and the building structure. These sprays kill any of the chicken mites that are hiding within the coop. Choose a pesticide that is meant for chicken mites to ensure effectiveness. Retreat the coop after a few days to kill off the chicken mites that may have hatched from eggs. Monitor the flock for future infestations to ensure the safety of the flock.