Artib Farm

There are three (3) major types mites as a form of ectoparasites in poultry. They are Red mite, Northern fowl mite and Scaly leg / Depluming mites. All types are capable of invading at anytime and cause several health issues which can negatively affect the birds, the farm owner's health and profit. 1. Red Mite The Red mite, Dermanyssus gallinae, is a blood sucking ectoparasite that can infest and feed on chickens and turkeys. They can invade at anytime especially during hot season. Red mite can be challenging to spot unless you have a population explosion whereby they are difficult to ignore. They are nocturnal so they hide in crevices of the poultry house during the day and emerge at night to crawl up the bird’s legs to feed on the chicken's blood. 2. Northern fowl mite Northern fowl mite, Ornithonyssus bursae, is an oval shaped mite about 1mm in size. It starts its life as a pale grey colour, then start feeding on chicken's blood till it becomes engorged mite of a bl