1. External Parasites and Poultry Pests

2. INTRODUCTION
External parasites of poultry are arthropods that live on or in the skin and feathers.
Also important are insects that develop in poultry manure, dead carcasses, and moist organic debris, thereby causing sanitation and public relations problems.

3. CLASSIFICATION
Poultry ecto-parasites are members of the animal phylum Arthropoda, characterized by possession of externally segmented bodies, jointed appendages, and chitinous exoskeletons.

4. Lice, flies, bugs, and fleas are members of the class Insecta, characterized by possession of a body divided into three regions (head, thorax, and abdomen).
Mites are members of the class Arachnida, order Acarina. Ticks are very large mites, contrasting sharply with most mites, which are much smaller than most insects.

5. DETECTION
Poultry seriously infested with the common parasites exhibit irritation and react by scratching and preening.
Any unexplained production drop or increase in feed conversion is cause to look for external parasites.

6. Lice and northern fowl mites can be found by examining the skin after parting the feathers. Good light and good eyes are needed to see these small parasites.
To monitor birds in a production facility, 20— 50 birds should be checked a minimum of two times a month. Birds should be checked at random and should be chosen from all parts of the house.
The vent, head, and legs should be closely examined.

7. GENERAL PESTICIDE CONTROL PROCEDURES
The synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphorus, carbamate, and pyrethroid insecticides are the main ecto- parasite and fly control chemicals used for direct application to poultry, litter, or buildings.

8. Application
Laborious individual bird application methods such as dusting or dipping are inappropriate to modern poultry production.
If birds are being sprayed, the treatment must thoroughly cover the entire bird, and the bird should be wet to the skin. In treatment of buildings, close attention should be paid to the actual location of the pests.

9. Dusting
Spraying
Misting
Oral

10. LICE
Belong in the order Mallophaga, the chewing lice, and are characterized by chewing-type mandibles located ventrally on the head.
Cuclotogaster heterographa, chicken head louse
Goniocotes gallinae, fluff louse
Goniodes dissimilis, brown chicken louse
Lipeurus caponis, wing louse
Menacanthus stramineus, chicken body louse
Menopon gallinae, shaft louse

11. Most lice eat feather products, but Menacanthus stramineus may consume blood by puncturing soft quills near the bases and gnawing through the covering layers of the skin itself.

12. Eggs of Columbicola columbae, slender pigeon louse, at base of feather

13. Control
If treatment is required, the birds should be treated two times on a 7—10-day interval. Only the mature and immature forms will be controlled, as none of the available chemicals are ovicidal (eggs are not killed). Retreatment (the second spraying) is necessary to control the lice that will hatch after the initial treatment.

14. Fleas
Fleas (order Siphonaptera) are parasites in the adult stage but free-living as larvae.
Sticktight Flea (Echidnophaga gallinacea)
Irritation and blood loss may damage poultry seriously, especially young birds in which death may occur. Production is lowered in older birds.

15. Mouthparts are deeply embedded in the skin, so they are difficult to dislodge. The sticktight is unique among poultry fleas in that adults become sessile and usually remain attached for days or weeks.
European chicken flea (Ceratophyllus gallinae)
Western chicken flea (Ceratophyllus niger)

16. Control
The most important control measures are the removal of infested litter and thorough house spraying to kill immature fleas. Fresh litter should be put in the house and treated to kill adult fleas on birds and those that drop into litter.

17. MITES
The common free-living ectoparasitic mites of poultry belong to the family Dermanyssidae and include the chicken mite, northern fowl mite, and tropical fowl mite. They are bloodsuckers and can run rapidly on skin and feathers.

18. Chicken Mite
The chicken mite (Dermanyssus gallinae), also called red mite, roost mite, or poultry mite, is found worldwide.
These mites may not only produce anemia, thereby seriously lowering production and increasing feed consumption, but actually kill birds.

19. Northern Fowl Mite
The northern fowl mite (NFM) (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) is the commonest and most important permanent parasite of poultry in all major poultry production areas of the United States.
In heavy infestations, feathers are blackened, and skin is scabbed and cracked around the vent; when birds are handled, mites quickly crawl over the examiner’s hands and arms.

20. feather blackening and soiling by northern fowl mite

21. Tropical Fowl Mite
The tropical fowl mite (Ornithonyssus bursa) is distributed throughout the warmer regions of the world and possibly replaces the NFM in these regions.

22. Control
The chicken mite, NFM, and tropical fowl mite may be controlled by the same insecticides applied to birds, litter, nests, and the walls and roosts of the facility.

23. Scaly-leg Mites
Knemidocoptes mutans (Sarcoptidae) is one of a dozen related species of scaly-leg mites occurring on various birds. They are most commonly found on older birds that should ordinarily be culled from flocks.
Lesions are produced on nonfeathered portions of the host’s legs and occasionally on skin of the comb and wattles.

24. Control
Control of scaly-leg mites should begin by culling or isolating affected birds. Birds may be treated by dipping the legs in a warm acaricidal solution.

25. Depluming Mite
The depluming mite (Knemidocoptes gallineae) burrow into basal shafts of feathers on the epidermis of chickens, pigeons, and pheasant. Intense irritation induces the host to pull out body feathers, possibly losing body heat.
Some affected birds will lose weight and show lowered production.

26. Control
Control of depluming mites is not easily accomplished. Promptly isolate affected birds and disinfect houses

27. TICKS
Soft-bodied ticks (Argasidae) are the most important ticks of poultry. Argas persicus, A. sanchezi, and A. radiatus.
Hard ticks (Ixodidae) of many species will feed on poultry as well as wild ground birds.
Control requires treatment of the premises with appropriate insecticides.