mites
mites at Alektorophobia is a file of 11 stories. The newest of them: “Mites are having a full-on fowl party in my coop and I'm not invited”, “My rooster's head went upside down: here's how we're fixing it”, and “My poor hen is losing feathers, getting bullied, and I'm totally clucking lost”. Well, you've got yourself a full-on fowl party in the coop, and you're definitely not on the guest list. One of my roosters turned his head completely upside down, and let me tell you, it's as unsettling as it sounds. Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every mites story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
Mites are having a full-on fowl party in my coop and I'm not invited
Well, you've got yourself a full-on fowl party in the coop, and you're definitely not on the guest list. Mites have moved in, and they're treating you like an all-you-can-eat buffet every time you step inside. You've dusted, deep cleaned, and locked the birds out while sprinkling permethrin and DE, but those little freeloaders still crawl on you like you're the main attraction. Your birds are itchy and one refuses to roost, so something's clearly off. Since you can't spray Poultry Protector in freezing temps, try adding a pinch of food-grade DE directly to their dust bath and check the roost bars at night with a flashlight, mites love to hide there.
My rooster's head went upside down: here's how we're fixing it
One of my roosters turned his head completely upside down, and let me tell you, it's as unsettling as it sounds. After an attack and a mite infestation, his recovery cage was too small. Lesson learned the hard way. Now we're tackling wry neck with poultry cell, nutritional yeast, and a selenium-plus-vitamin E gel I only started this week. No improvement yet, but he's still eating scrambled eggs and pecking grass under supervision. The vet's tomorrow to check for infection from his messy living situation. I'm not giving up on this feathered friend, he's a household favorite. If you've dealt with wry neck in an adult roo, I'd love your feedback. For more on rooster dilemmas, check out "5 Lovely Little Roosters Need a Home."
My poor hen is losing feathers, getting bullied, and I'm totally clucking lost
Poor hen, losing feathers, getting bullied, and you're totally clucking lost. I feel this in my bones. You've got an Ameraucana who hates being touched, has a half-closed eye, and is the bottom of the pecking order in a 28-bird coop. You isolated her, fed her, even cleaned the whole run, but every time you pick her up, she screams like you're the predator. And you know that stress is making things worse. It's a heartbreaking fowl play situation. You're stuck between letting nature take its course and feeling terrible about it. Before you give up, check out our article "When the Egg-citement Fades: My Feathered Friends Are Now Fowl Play" for more on navigating these tough flock dynamics.
Our First Chicks Are Coming: And So Is My Cluck-tastic Chicken Health Panic
Our first chicks are arriving next week, and I am already in a full-blown cluck-tastic panic. I've been lurking every chicken sub, and let me tell you, the sheer volume of health horror stories has my anxiety pecking at my brain like a hungry hen. Mites, sour crop, egg binding… I'm half-convinced these ailments are going to start crawling out of my own eyeballs. It's a classic case of chickening out before the feathers even arrive. But here's the real question for you seasoned flock-tenders: how often do you actually have to deal with sick chickens?
Our Bantam Rooster Declares Coop Independence Just in Time for Winter
Oh, the audacity. For years, my flock and I had a perfect dusk routine, but now my bantam rooster has declared full-on coop independence just in time for winter. This little guy decided sleeping on the coop roof was his new vibe, and despite being safe from predators in his enclosed area, I am not about to let him freeze. After a week of me playing night-shift chicken wrangler, a second bantam hen joined his rebellion. Now, three weeks in, a third chicken, my olive egger, has joined the fowl play. I've checked for mites, confirmed no bullying (he's the boss, but generous with snacks), and set up a camera. Nothing.
Mites Got Your Chickens Down? Let's Talk Poultry Spray Routines
There's something deeply humbling about chasing down a dust bath with a spray bottle, isn't there? When mites move in, your feathered friends start looking more like grumpy little dinosaurs, and suddenly you're the pest control they never asked for. This poultry spray routine from OldLaw6606 gets right to the heart of that struggle, and honestly, it's a cluck-tastic relief to see someone tackle it with both humor and practical know-how. We've covered our share of feathery chaos before, like that backyard adventure where the chickens clearly won the day. But this one feels different, more about the steady, everyday battle. So grab your gloves and your sense of humor, because keeping those pests away is half the fun, even when it ruffles your feathers.
Suzie's Feeling Fowl: Is Our Queen Chickening Out?
Oh, Suzie. Our girl's having a rough day, and honestly, I feel for her, and for you. Seeing your usually sprightly queen looking a bit *off* is enough to make any chicken parent's heart do a little fowl-flip. You've painted a cluck-tastic picture of a hen who's just not herself: the longer-than-usual egg-laying, the ruffled feathers, and the solo time away from the flock. Given your history, mites, raccoons, and now a persistent rat problem, it's no wonder you're on high alert. That opossum sighting on camera? Yeah, I'd be watching the coop like a hawk, too. Your gut instinct to ask for advice is spot-on. We've seen similar stories with our own flock, and sometimes it's just a quirky phase.
Bald Spots and Backyard Moves: When Hen Feathers Go Missing
Well, isn't this a real feathery pickle? Five red hens, a fresh yard, and now two of them are sporting bald spots that have nothing to do with molting and everything to do with… something. I get it: change is stressful, and your flock is clearly feeling it. You did the right thing ruling out mites, but if those feathers aren't growing back, I'd wager this isn't a bug problem, it's a pecking-order problem dressed up in fancy feather loss. When the lead-up to a move keeps them cooped up, boredom turns to bullying, and those back spots are classic targets. The missing tail feathers on the others? That just screams "we're renegotiating who's boss" after losing their head hen.
Stuck on You: Solving the Mystery of the Feathered Fannies
There's nothing quite like the mystery of a hen with a perpetually messy backside, is there? This poor girl's got a real case of the "fowl bottom" blues, and I feel for both of you. You're doing all the right things, from the herb and chili boost to the butt baths, but it's clearly not solving the sticky situation. It's great that she's acting perky and normal, which is a good sign, but that persistent feather loss and skin irritation must be frustrating. You've checked for mites, but sometimes those tiny critters are masters of hide-and-seek. For a bit of lighthearted relief, you might enjoy our piece on "Chickens Got Her Good!" to remember the fun side of these feathered friends.
Why My Hen Went on Egg-Strike and Is Now Just a Feathered Friend
One hen stopped laying last fall, and no amount of protein-packed snacks or cozy coop experiments have coaxed a single egg out of her since. That's a real head-scratcher, even for seasoned chicken folks. I mean, the rooster has totally ghosted her, which feels like the feathery equivalent of a breakup. You've done the mite checks, the worming, the calcium boosts, and still, nothing. It's enough to make anyone feel like they're losing their flocking minds. Here's the thing: sometimes hens just take a long winter off, especially if they're a bit older or the light shifts. But if you're worried, a quick vet check might catch something sneaky like internal issues. For more feathery wisdom, our *Chickens Got Her Good!
A Stray Chick Strolls In, and Our Rooster Dreams Are on Hold
Talk about a feathered friend who's decided *you're* their new flock! This little one was found wandering a street with zero backstory, but it's clearly convinced you're family, runs on your heels the second it hits the ground. That's some serious imprinting magic, and honestly? Kind of adorable. As for the breed guess, Brahma is a solid call, they're big, fluffy, and famously chill. Age is trickier, but if it's still young enough to be clueless about other chickens, you've got time before the rooster question becomes urgent. Fingers crossed for a hen, right? 🤞🏻 Your setup sounds cluck-tastic: separate enclosure inside the run, dewormed, mite-checked, and a foraging buddy who wants you nearby. Smart move. For extra reassurance, our article "Chickens Got Her Good!