Fleas On Chickens
Fleas On Chickens: Chickens are at risk of plague by pet fleas and mites. While these fleas or mites are small and might not look very risky, a rigorous infestation can seriously damage and even kill a chicken. Symptoms of flea or mite infestation can include loss of feathers, scaly or dirty skin, and frayed or discolored feathers.
Chickens can also become lacking energy, lethargic and whitish around their heads, and might stop laying eggs. For protecting your chickens’ health, you need to recognize the symptoms of flea and mite infestation and use the proper treatment to get rid of fleas on chickens from these harmful parasites.
Instructions:
01. Inspect your chickens regularly:
Northern chicken mites or feather mites live at the bottom of the feathers, especially in the region of the tail, and you might find mites even on the chickens’ eggs. Depluming mites live at the bottom of the feathers and cause the birds to itch and pull out their feathers.
The pulled feathers will often have rough skin on their quills. Flaking leg mites cause inflammation and scaly on the legs and or wattles. Fleas live at the bottom of the feathers and, unlike mites, can jump.
02. Verify birds infection
Verify if only one bird is infected, or if the entire flock is. While only one bird is infected, separate it from the rest of the flock.
03. Use powder
If your chickens are infested with fleas, northern feather mites, or chicken mites, use 4 percent or 5 percent malathion powder, using a rotational hand duster or puff duster. Use one pound of powder per 100 birds. Repeat this treatment for up to four/eight weeks or as needed.
How To Kill Fleas On Chickens Without Harming Your Pets
How to Kill Fleas On Chickens: Fleas are small, blood-sucking lice that will plague nearly every living animal on Earth. Some fleas also bite poultry. Fleas creep onto the skin of their host, feed on the warm blood, and by means of those nutrients, they lay eggs and produce even more fleas.
Fleas often can be found on farms where a variety of warm-blooded species exists. Killing fleas without harming small pets & animals like chickens will help to stop the infestation and reduce the possibility of spreading flea-borne diseases.
Instructions
01. Put on hand gloves and a mask
Put on your hand gloves and face mask. Enter your chicken house and remove used bedding into a large plastic bag and throw it into a dustbin or garbage can. Fleas can live on your chickens as well as in their bedding. So, removing dirty bedding will help to remove fleas from the environment.
02. Remove large brushwood
Remove large brushwood or rocks from your chicken house. Fleas will often gather on rubbish in your house and they travel among chickens. Put these items, along with the unclean bedding, inside the garbage can and cover it with a fitted coat to prevent any fleas from escaping.
03. Spray diatomaceous earth
Spray diatomaceous earth over all the surfaces in your chicken cage, including nest boxes and dirty flooring. Diatomaceous earth is a natural compound made of the fossilized what’s left of microscopic water plants. These small fragments puncture the exoskeletons of the fleas and dehydrate them, causing their death. Diatomaceous earth will protect your chickens even if they consume it.
04. New bedding
Add new bedding to your chicken cage and replace any feed and water pans you moved when cleaning the pen. Spray more diatomaceous earth over the fresh bedding to prevent any re-infestation. Your chickens will nest and take turns around in the bedding, covering them in the earth and killing any fleas that remain on their skin.
Disclaimer:
No warranty of accuracy for any information provided here. This is not medical advice anyway, can be used for information purposes only. Always ask your doctor for medical treatment while necessary.
Sources of Information:
- Health Care Websites, Google images – unrestricted, Health and Fitness Magazine, General Physicians Suggestion, and Recommendation.