The Cottage Smallholder

Have been keeping an eye on my hens, One seems to be shaking her head quiet a bit. They all at times peck at there rears, and two have started to peck at each other when they are free ranging in the garden.

Have been using red mite powder at the beginning of each month and using poultry shield in the coop when doing a deep clean which again is once a month. No sign of red mite even checked with flashlight over a couple of nights and still no sign.

However yesterday decided to take a good look under the feathers, around the neck and backbone have seen only a couple of very tiny yellow/orange bugs moving around at the base of the feather/skin.

They only seem to be on two of my hens and one has a little bit of mattered feathers, and there looks like dry skin were her wings meets her body. She is also the one who has been shaking her head the most.

Looked today and they are still there even after a good going over with red mite powder two days ago, and this is in direct daylight. Have read that if they were red mites they would only be on the birds at night?

So have gone down the route that they maybe lice.

So have now used barriers louse powder, will be interested to see if they now go!

Does anybody know what these could be? as could do with the help..

Regards...........