Mite Patrol

Have you ever wondered why your chickens, or any birds for that matter, love to take dust baths?

There’s a very good reason. Domestic poultry can often pick up mites from wild birds or other infested flocks. Chicken mites are relatives of ticks, spiders, and scorpions. These small mites live on the outside of the chicken and feed off their blood. If left untreated chickens become anemic. They’ll lose their feathers, develop sores, lay poorly, and eventually die.

Mites are actually gray but will appear red once engorged with blood.

Any number of methods can be used to keep mite populations down but here at Big Branch Apiary we add Sevin© dust to their favorite dust bath holes, keeping it on the birds but away from nest boxes and feed.

This is our trick–what’s yours?