EXTERNAL PARASITES

External Parasites of poultry will not readily live on the skin and in the hair of man, therefore they are not considered to have "zoonotic" potential. Nevertheless, any bird noted to be infected with mites or lice should be immediately treated. Heavy infestations of mites and lice are often seen in the spring and summer. To eliminate external parasites, all birds housed in a particular room or building must be treated at the same time and there must be repeated treatment of the birds, as well as cleaning and treatment of the housing area.

Scaly leg mite	Chicken Louse	Quill mite

Lice are the most common external parasites of birds. There are many different species and most are biting insects which consume scales, feathers, bits of skin and feces. Scaly-Leg Mites infest the featherless areas of the face and legs, burrowing into the skin and feather follicles, feeding on connective tissue. Quill Mites infest and destroy new feathers. The mites burrow into the feather shaft and as a result of their activity produce a powdery mass of feather debris, eggs, larvae, molted mite skins and feces visible through the shaft wall.

Written by : Tami Jones

For use on Gander Gab sites only.