Creepy, crawly, and YUCKY! I’m talking lice and mites in chickens, EWW!
We’ve had chickens for many years, and as far as I know, I’ve only had a BIG bug infestation one time.
How did I know my chickens had BUGS?
You could literally see them crawling on them. Let me just say that it was devastating and made my skin crawl for weeks.
I’m not exactly sure how my chickens became infested, but I have two ideas.
My first thought is straw bedding. The one time we had bugs was the year I was trying out straw as bedding.
I wasn’t really a fan of using straw, I went back to wood shavings, and it’s the only bedding I’ll ever use. Much easier to keep clean and fresh, in my opinion.
My second thought on how my chickens became infested with bugs is that we had a random chicken show up on our property.
Yep, you heard that right a rando chicken showed up.
I’m not really sure where the little red hen came from, but I was irresponsible in letting her mingle with my flock before a good check over.
I assume she is the culprit, and the straw was just a coincidence, but I can’t be sure.
Farm Tip: You should always quarantine new animals for at least thirty days before introducing them in case of sickness.
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DEBUGGING WITH SEVINS INSECT KILLER DUST
At the time of the BIG bug infestation, I had around 15 chickens. I moved everyone to a temporary shelter and removed all the straw bedding from the coop.
Once the straw bedding was out, I cleaned the nestboxes and walls with a bleach and water solution.
It was pretty much a half-water and half-bleach mixture.
I let the coop air out for a few days and then sprinkled Sevin Insect Killer Dust all over the chicken coop, making sure I let it sink into the cracks.
Don’t worry I’ve done my research, and Sevin Insect Killer Dust is safe to use around chickens. It kills over 65 insects, so goodbye, creepy crawlers!
After I had sprinkled the Sevins Dust literally everywhere in every nook and cranny of the chicken coop, I applied new bedding.
I used wood shavings, my bedding of choice. I again sprinkled even more Sevin Insect Killer Dust , over the wood shavings.
When I had the chicken coop all fresh and clean, I couldn’t let the chickens back into the chicken coop without debugging them.
So, everyone bathed with a gentle dog flea and tick shampoo. After they dried off, I sprinkled the Sevins Dust into their feathers and around their bum holes.
Since I wasn’t 100 percent sure how to debug the coop and because it was the first and only time I’d seen bugs crawling on my chickens, I continued to sprinkle Sevin Insect Killer Dust in the chicken coop and on the chickens once a week for four weeks.
After four weeks, I deep-cleaned the chicken coop one more time.
I removed all the wood shavings, washed down the walls and nest boxes with a bleach and water mixture, and again sprinkled the chicken coop with Sevin Insect Killer Dust.
IT WORKED, and I no longer saw bugs in my chicken’s feathers or near their bums again.
KEEPING MY CHICKENS LICE, MITE, AND BUG-FREE
After the BIG bug infestation in the chicken coop, I’m pretty cautious about watching my chickens for creepy crawlers.
Every spring after the winter, when my chickens have spent most of their time in the chicken coop, they get a spring bath. Plus I do two deep cleanings of the chicken coop each year.
I’m also now using Diatomaceous Earth regularly in the chicken coop, it’s a food-grade alternative to the Sevens Insect Killer Dust, and I like that it can be added to the chicken’s water on occasion to control internal parasites/worms.
BUT believe me, if I ever see bugs on my chickens again, the coop is getting sprinkled with Sevens Insect Killer Dust!
If you want to see how I deep clean the chicken coop twice per year, read my post – DEEP CLEANING THE CHICKEN COOP – PLUS A FRESH COAT OF PAINT. OR Save it to your Pinterest for later.
Bugs are fricken gross, and they can do a lot of damage to your birds.
You can look for bugs near where the feather and skin meet and around the bum, but there are some bugs you can’t see, so watch their behavior.
If you notice that your chickens have scaly feet or seem to prune more than normal, you may have an issue.
Also, make sure your chickens have a dust bath area. This is where they do their best at keeping clean naturally.
XOXO
Emily
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