All poultry lice are chewing lice , which feed on skin, scales, feathers, or scabs but do not bite through the skin or suck blood. The entire life cycle of the lice takes place on the host and eggs can often be seen attached to the base of the feathers.
Numerous insecticides are available for treatment.
On occasion this mite also affects turkeys, pigeons, canaries, and wild birds. The chicken mite feeds on blood, is about 0.7 mm in length, and has a distinctly red color following a blood meal. This mite lives and lays its eggs in cracks and crevices of the poultry house environment and only feeds on the host at night. Since this mite feeds on blood affected birds appear anemic, droopy, weak, pale, and may even die in some cases. Diagnosis is made by identifying the mite.