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Chicken parasites-signs, symptoms, and treatments. Mites and lice,infest chicken coops, perches, bedding and nests, walls, and floors. When your chickens roost at night the mites and lice come out to feed on your chickens. As a responsible chicken owner it is important that you pre-treat Your Chickens for Lice and Mites The old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is applicable when it comes to treating chickens for lice, mites, flea,and worms. Scroll down to see a list of parasites (mites, lice, and worms) and find out how to get rid of them.
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Signs of Poultry Mites and Lice

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Signs of Poultry Mites and Lice:
It is best to check your coop and chickens on a weekly basis for signs of poultry mites and lice. Use a magnifying glass to help you spot mites and lice easily. It is so much easier to get rid of mites and lice if you catch the early signs of it. Once infested you will have much more work to do.
​Signs of mite and lice infestations in chickens are:
  • ​Feather loss, feather plucking (bird pulls his or her own feathers out)
  • Pale comb and wattles
  • Dirty or crusty vent area
  • Listless
  • Dull droopy feathers/bald spots/evidence of feather pulling/broken feathers
  • Change in appetite/weight loss
  • Reddish skin or spots
  • Loss in egg production
  • Seeing insects during physical inspection
​The first thing you need to do is bathe your chickens with dish soap and warm water. After they dry they should be treated with Food grade DE or 7 Dust. Permethrin and Food grade DE (Diametaceous Earth) is the best and fastest way to get rid of mites and lice in chickens. Coops, roosts, nest boxes and ground area's needed to be treated as well. Warning-Permethrin is deadly to cats. An old fashioned method is to use wood ash by powdering each bird with it, clean the coop well, and sprinkle wood ash into fresh bedding and nest boxes. Many herbs like lavender, mint, and eucalyptis can also help keep mites and lice away. Keep scrolling to see more mite and lice prevention and treatments.

How to Prevent Mite and Lice Infestations on Your Chickens and In Coops

Prevention is the key to preventing mite and lice infestations in chickens.
Keep bedding clean and change often
Clean coop and bedding often. How often you need to clean your coop depends on how many chickens you have. Change bedding often, How often you need to change bedding depends on how many chickens you keep. If you scoop the bedding it will stay fresh much longer and will lower your bedding costs.
  • Scoop bedding in between changes
Chicken droppings have high contents of Nitrogen in them which can give your chickens respiratory problems and bacterial infections
  • Treat Bedding, feeding areas, coop, and run areas, as well as other birds, livestock, and pets with Food Grade DE
Food grade DE is a safe method to control of hard shell insects (fleas, ticks, ants, roaches, beetles, bed bugs, etc) and does not harm earthworms providing safe elimination and prevention of worms and internal parasites without chemicals while at the same time has been known to improve coat and hoof conditions in other livestock as well. Other benefits include fewer flies, and horse flys  because their larvae won't be able to develop in treated manure. What makes this option even more attractive is the fact that Food Grade DE Diatomaceous Earth is even safe for human and animal consumption so you don't have to worry about accidental poisoning. When treating birds make sure you are outdoors to prevent respiratory problems. Make sure coops are well ventilated and that no chickens are in the coop when applying DE because it is a dust that can cause respiratory problems before it has settled. I apply it to my coop floor after cleaning and before putting in fresh bedding to eliminate this problem.
  • Provide fresh, loose soil for dirt bathing
 Make sure your hens have at least one area that is plowed regularly or supplied with fresh loose dirt for them to dust bathe in. Dust baths help reduce the chances of getting lice and mites and that is how chickens clean themselve
  • Paint your coop annually
Paint any wood surface which comes in contact with your chickens but make sure you only use paint which is non toxic, water based paint at least once a year.
  • Pre-treat your chickens and bedding with Food grade DE
Pretreating your pullets and adult chickens with DIATOM or another comparable product such as Diatomaceous Earth (food grade).
Warning! DO NOT TREAT CHICKS UNDER THREE MONTHS OF AGE!!
See more parasite treatments below.

List of Herbs to Improve Your Chickens Health & Keep Mites Away

Herbs that can be used to deter mites and lice in your chicken coop are:
  • Wood ashes-Use wood ashes from burned untreated wood in nesting boxes, where they take their dust baths,  and in floor bedding to prevent lice and mites.
  • Organic Neem Oil can be sprayed on roosts, nest boxes, and perches to get rid of lice and mites.
  • A Spicata can be used to treat chickens for lice and mites
  • Catnip works as a sedative and as a natural insecticide
  • Lavender can be used as an insecticide which also increases blood circulation and is well known as a stress reliever too.
  • Lemon balm and lemon rinds can be shredded into nest and coop bedding. Fresh squeezed lemon juice can be sprayed on roosts to repel insects. 
  • ​Oregano-Sprinkle on feed to improve health
  • Peppermint - anti-parasitic, insecticide
  • Sage
  • Spearmint-Prevents lice and mites and also has healing properties when fed to your chickens. 
  • Thyme​
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