Red mite in chickens: a parasite of the coop, not just the hen

According to the MSD Veterinary Manual and the University of Florida, red mite feeds mainly at night. By day, it hides in cracks and corners, under droppings, on perches and in nest boxes. According to the European MiteControl research project, it stays on the hen for only 30 to 60 minutes, the time it takes to feed, and comes back to feed every two to four days according to the University of Florida.

That is why you rarely see it on a hen during the day.

Life cycle

A week at least, in good conditions (around 25 to 30 °C). Each female lays around thirty eggs during her life, hidden in cracks and litter.

Season

Numbers soar during the warm months, according to the MSD Manual. Below about 5 °C, it stops breeding.

Survival without food

Up to 8 to 9 months without a meal, depending on the source: an empty coop can stay infested.

• Anaemia and tiredness, from repeated blood loss.
• Stress, disturbed sleep, feather pecking.
• Fewer eggs, thinner shells, small blood spots on eggs.
• In severe cases, deaths in the flock, according to the MSD Manual and the MiteControl project.

• At night, with a torch, check the hens on their perch: that is when the mites are on them, as the universities of Florida and Kentucky advise.
• By day, lift the perches and look underneath and inside hollow perches, in nest boxes, joints and under dried droppings.
• Run a sheet of white paper along corners and joints: the mites are easier to see on it.
• According to the MiteControl project, clusters visible to the naked eye mean the infestation is already heavy: check regularly, especially in the warm months.

According to the MSD Manual, the hens, the litter and the hiding places all need treating. A thorough clean of the coop, perches and nest boxes reduces numbers, according to the University of Florida. Red mite eggs resist most products: a second round a few days later is needed, according to the University of Kentucky.

• Remove all the litter and nesting material, and scrape dried droppings off perches and out of cracks.
• Ask your vet which treatment to use for the coop and for the hens, and whether there is an egg withdrawal period.
• Limit hiding places: a coop that is easy to clean, with few cracks, lowers the risk, according to the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).
• Keep any new hen apart at first, and clean the carrier, as the University of Kentucky advises.

Lice (true lice)

They spend their whole life on the hen and survive about a week off it. Their eggs, stuck to the base of the feathers, look like grains of sugar according to the RVC. Look around the vent and under the wings.

Northern fowl mite

Unlike red mite, it stays on the hen, especially around the vent, where the feathers turn black, according to the University of Kentucky.

Scaly leg mite

A mite that burrows under the scales of the legs: they thicken, become crusty and the hen may go lame, according to the MSD Manual.

Red mite is a long-term job. In MyArk, make the night-time check and the coop clean recurring shared chores: whoever does it ticks it off, and everyone can see what has been done.

• A regular perch check, more often in summer
• The deep clean of the coop, and its second round
• Treatments and their dates kept in the health record
• A dated note whenever you spot mites