Stories or Problems: Common Mites and Lice that Infest Chickens

Here is a list I've made up of the most common lice and mites you are likely to find on chickens, how to get rid of them, what to look for and how to prevent it.

The most important places to look for the different mite and lice species.
Credit: birdbrain99

Common Name: Scaly Leg.

Type: Parasite.

Look for: Up turned leg scales. Apparent discomfort and excessive "preening" of the legs. Limping (in bad cases).

Caused by: Scaly leg is caused by microscopic mites (called Dermatoryctes mutans) which burrow in to the skin between the leg scales. They produce white crusts which force the scales up and cause discomfort for the affected birds. These mites are also called Scaly Leg Mites.
If this problem is discovered early and treated quickly then it is a very simple matter to sort out. However, if it is discovered much later on then it is slightly more tricky, and if it is left then the affected bird will have severe leg problems and will become lame.

Treatment/Prevention: I found this problem at the early stage when it was hardly noticeable, so I came off lightly. I treated it with Benzyl Benzoate which I got from the chemist but it is also available at some vets. There are also special 'Scaly leg treatments' which you can get at farm shops. Benzyl Benzoate is often used on horses, but the lady at the chemist asked if it was for our faces! "No," we replied, "it is for a chicken's legs." She gave us a rather quizzical look...
Soak the chicken's legs and paint on the Benzyl Benzoate which should look like a kind of cream. Use a fine paint brush for this. I repeated it every few days for a couple of weeks to make quite sure it was properly solved and have had no more problems with it yet. However, scaly leg is highly contagious so it would be a good idea to separate the affected birds and treat all the chickens even if they haven't got it. It is also advisable to thoroughly wash the coop as well and move the chickens on to new ground, but I was unable to do this and I solved it so it is not necessary, but it does take more work and is less likely to be quite so thorough if you don't.
Vaseline or Petroleum Jelly can also be used: rub this onto the legs after cleaning them, then wrap in a bandage so it doesn't rub off. This will suffocate the mites, but in my experience is not as affective as Benzyl Benzoate.


Common Name: Northern Fowl Mite.

Type: External Parasite.

Look for: Matted, wet or greasy looking feathers. Dirty vent feathers. Pale comb. Scabs around vent and under feathers.

Caused by: Northern Fowl Mites are 1mm long mites that live entirely on the birds. Unlike red mites, they feed on the chicken's blood day and night and stay on the birds. They are brown, red or black in colour and quite round-looking. You may see them scuttling around on the skin or feathers. They cause irritation, blood loss and anaemia.

Treatment/prevention: A monthly dusting of a suitable anti-mite dust or spray should hopefully prevent the problem, but if you do notice any mites increase frequency to every few days. Treat the birds as well as the coop, paying particular attention to the vent area, under the wings and neck. Remember to treat the crest if your bird has one too!
PLEASE CHECK ALL YOUR BIRDS FOR MITES as they seem to prefer some birds more than others. I have never found a single mite on Daffy or Pepper, for example, when at the same time there have been a few on Nutmeg and Bonnie. If I had just checked Pepper and Daffy I would have said that none of my hens had any mites, so all birds should be checked.

Common Name: Red Mite.

Red Mite (Dermanyssus gallinae).
Credit: Luis Fernandez Garcia Permission: CC BY-SA-2.5-ES
Via Wikimedia Commons

Look for: Red Mites actually live in the coop itself. They come out at  night to feed on the blood of the birds while they are on the roost, so are quite difficult to spot. I check every night for signs of them, just flash a torch around the coop walls and on/underneath the perches. In bad cases, your chickens may refuse to go into the coop to roost, spending the nights outside.

Caused by: Small mites, similar to northern fowl mites, that live in the coop. They are called Dermanyssus gallinae.

Treatment/Prevention: Sprinkle some anti-mite powder along the roosts and in the bedding, and along any shelves, crevices, etc. regularly. Don't use long straw, as they can hide inside the pieces.
If you notice any signs of red mite, move your birds out of the  coop and treat with a proven anti-mite spray or powder. Hose down the coop, scrub and clean, then disinfect with an anti-mite spray or bleach solution. Wait until it is properly dry before reintroducing your birds, and treat the coop frequently afterwards.

Common Name: Poultry Lice.

Type: External Parasite.

Look For: Excessive preening. Easier to spot than mites, can be found clustered on feathers or crawling on the skin. Egg clusters on vent feathers can be spotted by parting the feathers near the vent. Eggs look like white blobs attached to the feathers. Also check under wing for adults and eggs.

Caused By: There are about forty to fifty different species of lice that can affect chickens, but they can all be treated in basically the same way. They are straw-coloured insects that don't actually suck the blood of the birds, but eat the dead skin and feather shafts. However, they can be just as irritating as mites!

Treatment/Prevention:
Similar to Northern Fowl Mites. Sprinkle a good quality lice powder under the feathers, paying particular attention to the vent area and under the wings. They live entirely on the chickens. If you notice a lot of louse eggs (nits), bathe the affected hen with a mild pet or baby shampoo, and try to loosen the eggs to coming off. Careful not to pull, as this will hurt the bird! Otherwise, you can rub Vaseline/petroleum jelly over the eggs. This will smother them and they will eventually fall off, but I haven't found this quite so effective as directly removing the eggs.