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 Post subject: Ear mites????
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 12:47 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:24 pm
Posts: 27
Hi guys. 3 of my 5 chickens shake their heads frequently and scratch at their heads. I dust often for lice hoping that would be the problem, but it hasn't helped. I have read about chickens getting ear mites and a symptom is frequent head shaking. Anyone have any experience with this? How would I treat ear mites? What else could cause frequent head shaking? One of the chickens does have a respiratory disease. Even when she is completely symptom free she still shakes her head. The other two have never had respiratory symptoms, but possibly are infected. Without symptoms (particularly nasal or ocular discharge), I wouldn't have thought that this would be the cause of the head shaking. Any advice appreciated.

LJ.


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 Post subject: Re: Ear mites????
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 5:49 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2011 7:17 pm
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Hi, LJ wave.gif ,

I have read that you can use Ivermectin to treat the ear mites, and that the coop also needs to be disinfected to eradicate the mites.

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 Post subject: Re: Ear mites????
PostPosted: Fri Nov 09, 2012 9:13 pm 
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Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm
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There are no "ear mites" in chickens, just mites that can infect the head area.
Any of the typical mite treatments should work- eg ivermectin, moxidectin or mite/lice sprays. It could also be stickfast fleas or lice

However, the problem may be an upper respiratory infection that has caused a sinusitis which has not yet shown visible signs such as discharges. This needs antibiotics.

A fungal dermatitis may also cause irritated skin and head shaking. This would need antifungals from the vet

You need to look closely at the birds' heads and describe what you see or take photos to try to narrow down the likely causes.
Otherwise, taking one of the birds to an avian vet may give you the answers.


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 Post subject: Re: Ear mites????
PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 7:59 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 1:24 pm
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Thanks for the advice guys. I checked the chickens (2 hens and 1 rooster) and could see no indication of dermatitis. Mind you, I couldn't see any mites or lice either. However, everything was still pointing to mites or lice. I regularly dust my nesting boxes with Pestene powder. My two hens that are laying don't shake their heads. The rooster and a non laying hen were the worst head shakers. The hen in particular had become so bad that she would just sit around and not each much, and just couldn't stop shaking her head. I thought she was dying. In desperation (and because it was a weekend and I couldn't access anything else), I put some cat frontline plus on them. Just a drop or two on the skin on the back of the neck. Well the transformation by the next day was just amazing. My dying hen sprang to life and hasn't looked this good in ages. The rooster still shakes his head a little, but not nearly as much. So must have been mites/lice. I had been powdering them, but obviously it wasn't doing the job. Is Pestene powder not that effective? I can't believe how much the mites/lice were affecting them. The pestene in the nesting boxes must be helping the laying hens though. I am not surprised that mites/lice would be a problem because they free range all day and hang out in my carport which is where the sparrows sleep :( The hen with the respiratory I do believe shakes because of the respiratory disease. However, hers doesn't seem to respond to antibiotics. I tried sulfa 3, oxymav and Baytril. None helped. She eventually got better on her own. She is sneezing again now, but no other symptoms. Eats well, lays and is otherwise happy so I just leave her be. Anyone use frontline on a regular basis?


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 Post subject: Re: Ear mites????
PostPosted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:44 am 
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Joined: Sat Jan 02, 2010 7:39 pm
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Frontline spray is regularly used in the UK and works well.
There is some question as to how well the spot-on is distributed around the body in birds, so the spray is preferred.
In your case, because you placed the spot-on near where the problem was, it worked for you- great result!


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