Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

This topic is not going to be the most glamorous posting I have ever written, however, it is an important one. Mites. Tiny, microscopic creatures that are harmless to humans but can be quiet an annoyance to chickens.
  No matter how clean your coop is, rest assured that every flockster at one point or another will experience mites in their coops/runs. It stinks, it's gross, but it happens and you're not alone. I wanted to provide everyone with some tips and tricks that I have learned along the way on how to correct the situation.
  It is hard to determine if you have mites in your coop because they are incredibly difficult to see due to their size. Some tell tale signs that you have a mite issue is by being observant of your birds. If they are plucking feathers or constantly preening/nibbling themselves you might have a mite issue. You can always check around a chickens vent area or under their wings to see if you can see the mites because that is typically where they "hang out."
  The one time we thought we had a mite issue, which we were never able to really confirm, we did the next few steps to resolve the issue. I will admit at first that I was itching myself because it gave me the creeps me out but it really is not that bad.  If you act on it you can get your birds back to being comfortable and happy.
  First thing you will want to do is clean out your coop and run completely and dispose of any bedding/straw. Once the coop is cleaned out I run a shop vac throughout the whole thing sucking up any dust, left over bedding or debris that is inside the coop.
  At your local tractor supply store or online I would purchase two items. A poultry protector spray and a garden/poultry dust. The spray will say on the label that it is meant to kill mites etc. The poultry protector spray by Manna does not have any harsh chemicals in it so it is safe to use on and around birds.  The garden/poultry dust that we purchased was made by Y-Tex. Sevin is also a great brand you can use. This dust is put directly on the chickens, usually around the vent area. It will suffocate and kill any mites that are on the hens body. Both of these products are safe so you do not have to dispose of any eggs during this process. If you were to use a heavy chemically dosed product you will want to dispose the eggs per the directions on the bottle. I like to keep things as natural as I can for the hens while receiving effective results.
 Spray the poultry protector all over inside the coop. Try and get into the tight spaces where mites enjoy living. Once sprayed all over, let it air out and dry. Place brand new pine shavings into the coop and mix in food grade diatomaceous earth. DE is great for keeping bedding dry and for keeping insects away from the coop. There is a balance of how much to mix because you do not want the bedding to be too dry. Start with a small amount, you can always add more. I use 1 cup inside the coop to start. Our coop is 36 square feet to give you an idea of how much to use.
  We then spread DE around the entire outside of the coop and all over the run. You can also use the garden dust and sprinkle that around the run as well and inside the coop if you would like. The garden dust is then dusted onto every hen. I do this every day for about a week just to be safe that the mites are killed. If one bird has mites, treat them all as it will spread.
  If you feel that one bird has it worse than others you can always give that hen a bath. Pick up a bottle of mite or lice animal shampoo and bathe the hen using that product. I bought a brand that is used on cats and dogs which worked out perfectly. It is made with oatmeal which is great for the skin.
   Also, to prevent mite issues make sure your hens have access to dust or dirt baths. This is the way hens maintain a healthy skin themselves.

The dirt and dust they bathe in kills the mites the same way the store bought dust does by suffocating the mites. Luckily, our hens like to take dust baths regularly to help prevent us from having any issues.
   As stated before, every flockster will have this issue. Other animals around the coop area bring the mites in so do not feel that you have failed or that your coop is not clean. You're doing great and the treatment process it easy, affordable and effective!