How do you tell if you have red mite?

sunny · Post by **sunny** » 30 Jun 2007, 12:59

Hi again. I have 6, 20-22 wk chickens, various breeds, laying different sizes and coloured eggs. Recently, two of the eggs had large reddish 'speckles' on them (not raised) and yesterday, one of the egss was rough to the touch at one end. I also noticed a load of insects on one of the doors, they definately look like red ants rather than mites to me, but I don't know what red mite looks like. So the question is, how do you tell if you have red mite? Can you see them on the arc, or on the eggs? Also, the eggs shells are still quite thin, is this because they are still very young or is it to do with diet? They get fed layers, plus a v. small handful of corn daily, various leftover veg, snails (from my hosters), occasional strawbs and whatever they can get from the garden, which they are out in daily. Should I add oyster shell to the grit that they also have?
Many thanks

Post by Mo » 30 Jun 2007, 13:13

It can't do any harm to give them oyster shell, or baked, crushed egg shell, even though the feed manufacturers claim that their brand has everything.

Don't know about red mite.

b_cos_1_can · Post by **b_cos_1_can** » 30 Jun 2007, 13:14

hello sunny

oyster shell is always a good idea as they can take it when they feel they need if it is supplied continuoulsy! and just watch how much yummy stuff they get in their diet, they might go off their pellets (i know i would :-D

)
you will get odd shells every now and then! sometimes there is no reason at all!
i wouldnt worry too much about the red splots on the shells, this happens too but i dont remember why just now!
as for red mite - they should be made extinct! )gr:

they are tiny critters that get everywhere. here is some info on them. i dont know how to explain what they look like! www.greengardener.co.uk/rsm.htm (couple of little photos here too. ignore the bits on plants, eek)
good luck

kat x

Post by Mo » 30 Jun 2007, 13:21

This is what Omlet (the eggloo people) say
Red Mite: Symptoms: Egg production will go down. In a bad case the bird could look a bit pale from blood lost to the little suckers.
You will not be able to find any by inspecting your birds during the day as they only crawl onto the birds for a nibble at night. Have a look every month or so for mites in the crevices at the ends of the roosting bars. There are mite-sprays available to prevent this for certain periods of time.

Are you sure that the red mite that are a pest of chickens are the same as red spiders on plants, Kat? I was assuiming they were different.

b_cos_1_can · Post by **b_cos_1_can** » 30 Jun 2007, 13:58

i always thought they were! theyre called red spider mites! :shock:

dunno! oooo, you made me wander now!
i bet richard, anna, wendy or ged will know though!
:oops:

Post by **wendy** » 30 Jun 2007, 14:00

Funny you should say that Mo. Because that was what I was thinking when I read Kat's post. I think they are different species.

I knew I had red mite, when I had finished cleaning at their house, and found them crawling on me....Yuk Yuk. They were black and were like the tiniest little crabs [oooh I am itching now] they were in my hair and everywhere.
I then had a REALLY good look at the house, and they were in the crevices as Mo said, but also where the edge of the door met the house and at the end of the perches. I intitially scrubbed with the old type Jeyes fluid, and they came marching out from everywhere.
I now have bought some diatomaceous earth and that is supposed to work well. Of course I have just bough a plastic hen house, that hopefully won't have the problem....no crevices.
Wendy

sunny · Post by **sunny** » 30 Jun 2007, 16:54

Thanks everyone. I had a look at the link, and they were definately ants, not red mite!!!

melons · Post by **melons** » 30 Jun 2007, 17:13

Have a look on Google images, they are on there, horrible little things. Alos when the girls have gone to bed, once it is dark, run some kitchen paper under their perches, if it comes off with streaks of blood in then you have mites. The guy who I brought my hen house of said to paint the house in parrafin, that'll do it, also use frontline spray under the girls armpits, that will tackle the problem on the girls too, you'll be attacking it from both angles then, the frontline wont take effect for 24 hours, & they have to bite to be killed, but it does work.
I really hope you haven't got them, they're a nightmare for the girls & hard to get rid of.
Best of luck to you.

Post by **wendy** » 01 Jul 2007, 00:05

Be careful of frontline. I have heard of some chickens having a bad reaction to it.
Wendy

sunny · Post by **sunny** » 02 Jul 2007, 09:55

No, no red mite in my backyard, phew! Having read all your suggestions, have bought a spray for the arc and have given it a good burst around all the nooks and crannies. For those of you who are interested, I've been trying out Bliss bio-gradable bedding along the floor of the arc. It has Eucalyptus in it, which is meant to keep down the flies (it seems to), has a natural antiseptic and certainly smells nice. It's a rape straw and it seems to be working quite well. Just wondered if anyone else has used it?

Post by **wendy** » 02 Jul 2007, 13:43

Where d'ya get that from then? Not heard of it before.
Wendy

sunny · Post by **sunny** » 02 Jul 2007, 17:30

I found it in the local gardening/animal feeds centre. It's used mainly for horses. Their web site is www.blissbedding.com

Post by **wendy** » 02 Jul 2007, 17:48

Thanks.

ess-kay · Post by **ess-kay** » 04 Jul 2007, 10:45

I use "poultry shield" sprayed around the house when i clean them out and also a very fine powder what is supposed to break down their shells, they are an absolute pest.
Have also used an aerosol for the house in the past, most of the chicken people around here recommend painting the inside of the house in creosete and leaving it open to be aired all day before the girls roost up for the night, that might be my next line of defence.- sylvie

Post by **wendy** » 04 Jul 2007, 11:22

can you get creosote nowadays?