What is the best way to tell if your hens have mites?

Ksheets30

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Jul 10, 2022
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I just wanted to know what everyone thinks is the best way to tell if your hens have mites? I bathed some of our hens today (daughter's showing them) and i noticed some black spots on them but I'm thinking it's just poop or dirt. I googled mites but there is so much on Google. Let me know what everyone thinks.
 

Blue Raptor

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I just wanted to know what everyone thinks is the best way to tell if your hens have mites? I bathed some of our hens today (daughter's showing them) and i noticed some black spots on them but I'm thinking it's just poop or dirt. I googled mites but there is so much on Google. Let me know what everyone thinks.
When I check for mites, I look on their necks (usually don’t find any there) and near their vents. If the mites aren’t hanging around directly near the vent, they might be near the base of the tail or closer to the abdomen. I have a YT vid on me checking for mites and bumblefoot! They are easy to find if you look very closely for movement near the feather- they’re fast little bugs! If you see grey dust or scab-looking stuff all crusted to the base of feathers, those are the mite eggs. The spray I use in my vid is supposed to get rid of the eggs too.
 

aart

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My bug check blurb, which contains that same link that @rosemarythyme posted:


Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.


Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008
 

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