Pale comb and wattles

[elizajay]

For the last few days I have noticed that my Brahma is pale at some times and the next time I look she is red and healthy looking. Could it be the heat? I have recently treated the house with Poultry shield and lots of diatom in the nest boxes and have noticed no mites.

However, when throwing scooped poop in the compost bin my arm was immediately covered with tiny mites, itch itch that were pouring out onto the bin lid. Would those be compost mites and if so why leave?

[RichmondHens]

Possibly red mite, but not very likely. Most likely another sort of insect although couldn't say what.

Not sure about the heat making your hen pale, I would still be suspicious of mite in the hen house (does she roost in the same place each night, if so check that area very thoroughly). Mine were all flopped out in the shade during the very hot weekend but kept their colour well. Glad it's cooler here now.

[polo]

I would worm unless you have done so recently just to tick that one of the list.

Also, I found some strange mites in the nest box last week. They were smaller than a red mite and very pale in colour and I only found them because the hens were looking 'ruffled' so I started to pull the house apart to try and find the cause.

I did wonder of they were immature red mite i.e. just hatched but whatever they were they didn't belong there. I need to check properly again to make sure they have gone after the poultry shield, flyspray and diatom (not in that order I might add)

Good luck

[jessmorris]

..she may be going off lay? Mine have been pale for a fortnight but are coming back into lay now. I thought they might be going to moult, but now I'm not so sure. I would also be suspicious of mites. Whatever size they are, and whatever colour they are , they're a B***** nuisance, so spray and dust everything and every hen you have !

Good luck!

[elizajay]

I am afraid it was mites. Lots! I did all I could to get rid of them yesterday. I took the hen house apart as far as I could, hosed it down, sprayed with Poultry Shield waited for the mites to die, hosed it down and sprayed again - took me hours. Two of the removable perches had mites coming out of knots in the wood.

The house is lined with diatom and newspaper which I will remove daily. I have left them with 2 non- knotted perches greased at the ends. They are covered with diatom. My broody hen is covered in mite powder and I will do the others. Then will give the house another treatment at the weekend and hope to finally conquer them.

[RichmondHens]

If that doesn't work try Creosote/cote. I have never found any mites surviving following application of that.

[polo]

At least you have found them now! Good luck!

[jessmorris]

Good luck!

[elizajay]

Have done 2 more treatments and have found dead mites in the diatom. Also reduced the hens to 2 perches so I can keep changing them. Treated with poultry shield and vaseline on the ends, I found a small but dense colony of red mites on each at the weekend. Went crazy cleaning and dousing, so much so that I discovered later when I came inside that I couldn't see that well. Realised my my new specs with upmarket lenses were no longer on my nose. Have searched the garden and cannot find them.

[elizajay]

Should I add the cost of replacing specs to my calculation of how much home grown eggs cost?