Ectoparasites are those that fertilise on the skin , scale or feather of your poulet . These may cause trouble for your flock in condition of egg production and health , and in knockout fount , may lead to fatalities . Ectoparasites are either uninterrupted or impermanent parasites .
Continuous parasite spend their entire grownup life cycle on the raspberry , while temporary leech inhabit off of the bird but feed on its descent . Amy Murillo , Ph.D. , at the University of California , Riverside , identifies three ectoparasites to look for in your flock and divvy up her expertness forcontrollingparasite populations .
1. Northern Fowl Mites
These mites ( Ornithonyssus sylviarum ) are the most prevalent parasites among wimp , hold up in the feathers along the birds ’ vent-hole . northerly fowl mites are found in flocks around the country , but they favor cooler climates and are most troublesome during the winter and spring month .
northerly fowl mites are only about 1⁄25 of an inch , have eight wooden leg and are typically black or brown . “ To check for northern fowl speck , closely observe the vent area of poultry , ” writes Jacquie Jacob , associate poultry specialist at the University of Kentucky , in “ External Parasites of Poultry . ” “ Northern poultry mites seem as midget specks go chop-chop on the skin . Sometimes the most obvious indicant of an plague is the presence of nut and mite faecal cloth ( black specks ) in the blowhole area .
2. Lice
There are several species oflicefound on chickens , including the chicken body bird louse , ray dirt ball and fluff louse . Lice are pale chicken or snowy in coloration and mostly feed on feather . fowl lice are legion specific and ca n’t be channelize to humans . Fall and winter are the most mutual prison term to observe infestation .
Carrie Pickworth and Teresa Morishita write in “ Common External Parasites in Poultry : Lice and Mites ” for The Ohio State University Extension that the lice found on poultry do not suck rip as the louse found in other species of animate being . “ Rather , they course on dry skin scales , feathering and scabs , ” they compose . “ Inspect the ventral region of the bird for bouncy lice crawling on the bird and for nit ( lice eggs ) , as most infestations start up in this orbit of the hoot ’s body . Eggs are white and commonly appear in caboodle on the blue feather dig . Feathers of infested birds may have a moth - consume appearance . Due to the feather damage , the razzing may have a irksome or roughened appearance . ”
3. Sticktight Fleas
Sticktight fleas are also problematic . “ The adult fleas embed themselves into the grimace , comb and wattles of the hiss while they blood - feed , ” Murillo say . “ The unfledged fleas ( larvae ) last in organic textile , such as bedding . ”
Mating usually pass off on the bird , fit in to the Alabama Extension Service . “ Female flea lie in testicle , which miss to the storey or into the litter . Eggs hatch in a few days , and slender white larvae feed on debris in crevice and bedding material on the floor . Larvae twisting cocoon and pupate . grownup flea then come out from the pupal case . contemporaries are complete in one to two months . ”
Controlling Chicken Parasites
Cleanliness and biosecurity are the first lines of defence against parasite in your flock . Clean the coop on a regular basis , and seal any crack or crevices to limit rodent approach .
“ Keep wild birds and beast away from your flock , confine visitant and quarantine new birds , ” Murillo advises . Shutterstock
Inspect your Bronx cheer on a regular basis , ideally monthly , and monitor parasite populations . sooner , examine all birds , but if it ’s a large flock or it ’s too difficult to catch all the birds , focus on Male , birds that reckon ill , or birds with damage or commercially trimmed beaks .
“ It is unlikely that epizoan will be equally distributed among a raft , and these birds are most potential to shield perceptible level , ” Murillo say .
insecticide may be used to treat infestations . Murillo admonish that not all insecticides are legal for use on birds in all states . Some may only be used in the henhouse or surrounding environment . The University of California , Riverside , department of veterinary entomology hosts asearchable databasefor registered insect powder by State Department that may be helpful in identifying product you may employ .
Another option is allow for a nutrient - gradediatomaceous earthdust bath . “ We found that the most good style to apply DE is to fuse about six cup with approximately 25 pound of washed play Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin in a moldable container , such as a swim pool or cement mixing bin , ” Murillo says .
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Simply dusting the boo or the environment is not enough . The raspberry must sprinkle bath in it and get the DE into their feathers .
DE is made of microscopical sharp particles that damage the exoskeleton of the ectoparasites . It may irritate people if not used in a well - vent expanse . debris masks should be worn when treat .
“ DE does not harm the doll , ” Murillo say .
If you catch parasites in your plenty ahead of time , you may be able to prevent damage to the long - condition wellness of your volaille .
This story to begin with appeared in the March / April 2018 issue ofChickensmagazine .
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