Chicken mites are common external parasites in poultry. They mainly parasitize the feathers and skin of chickens and can occur throughout the year, with late spring and early summer being peak periods. Because awareness of parasite prevention is low and the harm they cause to production performance is not well understood, mite problems are easily overlooked. In clinical practice, this often leads to misdiagnosis, delays treatment, and causes certain economic losses, creating considerable difficulties for farms and veterinary workers.
I. Clinical symptoms:
Mite infestation in laying hens can cause itching and restlessness. The hens may jump and flutter, and often peck at their own feathers and skin, resulting in feather loss and skin damage; their combs may turn pale, appetite and egg production may decline, eggshell color may become lighter, and the birds may gradually lose weight, become lethargic and suffer from nutritional deficiencies, eventually developing symptoms of anemia or even dying. Each mite consumes more than 10 times its own body weight in blood. When chickens are infested with mites, their blood is continually lost, increasing feed consumption; at the same time, effective antibodies against avian influenza and Newcastle disease are continually lost from the blood, causing antibody titers to keep declining. Mites continually bite chickens, spreading viruses such as Newcastle disease and bacterial diseases such as E. coli and Salmonella infections, leading to the ongoing use of medication. In poultry houses with severe mite infestations, farm workers may also be bitten while vaccinating, collecting eggs, or feeding the birds, causing itching and affecting their ability to work.
II. Prevention and control measures:
1、Maintain hygienic conditions in the poultry house, remove chicken manure promptly, and disinfect the house regularly. A clean environment effectively helps prevent chicken lice;
2、During routine husbandry and management, monitor the flock for signs of illness and watch for changes in the chickens. If chicken lice are found, take control measures immediately; the sooner they are addressed, the easier it is to control the infestation;
3、Treat infestations promptly and medicate the entire flock. Select severely affected chickens for separate housing and increase their medication, or cull them directly. Although there are many methods of killing lice, given the poultry-house conditions on farms, the most effective method is to spray a lice-killing product directly. Thoroughly spray all chickens in the house against the direction of feather growth, dampening the feathers all over their bodies. Apply more spray to severely affected areas, such as near the anus and on both sides of the thighs.
4, in addition to treating the chickens, the surrounding environment of the chicken house must also be controlled—spray the ground, cages, mesh frames, ceilings, and other areas thoroughly to try to eliminate live sources of insects in the environment.