The Chicken Keepers Nightmare: Red Mite

If you ask chicken keepers what they dread most in terms of poultry pests most will say Red Mite. Fiona and Hugh Osborne have found that they can be treated and controlled with some simple steps.

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POULTRY PESTS

There are a number of pests that can afflict your chickens. The big three as we like to call them are Chicken Lice, Northern Fowl Mite and the one that most poultry keepers’ quake in the boots at, Red Mite. All three feast on the blood of your beloved chickens, all three can result in a significant health risk to your chickens if not kept in check including stress, weight loss and anaemia. Best case scenario they will cause skin irritation if it’s a minor infestation, but in the event of a population explosion into a major infestation, worst-case scenario can mean death for your chickens. Last year, a very good friend of ours who is an experienced chicken keeper of many years, lost a family pet chicken to Red Mite and narrowly avoided losing a number of others in a rapid infestation.

Having said that it’s only Red Mite that is the true vampire of the chicken world. Not only do they feast on the blood of your chickens, but they also come out at night, preferring to hide in dark crevices during the day. Definitely little vampires.

DON’T PANIC!

The reality is that poultry pests are hard to avoid. Nearly every chicken keeper with a few years under their belt will encounter one of these poultry pests. It’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.

Don’t panic, there are things you can do to reduce the risk of getting them, reduce the numbers if you do get them and even eliminate them altogether.

Any chicken keeper with a number of years has experienced at least one of these poultry pests but Red Mite is dreaded more than the others because unlike Chicken Lice or Northern Fowl Mite, Red Mite are more likely to migrate between coop and chicken and can hide for months.

HOW CAN I IDENTIFY THEM?