Best Topical External Parasite Treatment?

[MLBFettes]

Hi, all!

I live in Arkansas and for three of our four seasons, we have bad external parasites. This year, my chicken seem to really be struggling with mites and gnats. We also have horrible mosquitoes, which seem interested in my hens but don't seem to ever get through their feathers to bite them. In the past, I have dusted them myself with Sevin Dust when I've noticed feather loss, but my chickens seem puny need for a few days after and I really hate to use it. They have access to dust bathing areas, and I give them wood ash to flop around in. They still really seem to be struggling, though.

Have any of you ever used topical treatments for external parasites? I have K9 Advantix and K9 Advantage already, for my dogs and cats, so I could use that. I could also easily get Frontline or something else.

Mainly, I am looking for something that is convenient for me and safe for my birds.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you have!

 

[Folly's place]

Permethrin dust or liquid spray works well and is approved for use on poultry. Carbaryl is no longer approved, and the dog and cat products aren't approved for ANY livestock species. Don't use them! Wear a N95 dust mask when dusting your birds, and cleaning and treating their coop. I will use Ivermectin on my birds once in a while, although it's not approved for poultry, because it's already used in humans and many livestock species. Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Skeeters bite the fleshy parts of chickens' head, face, and comb. Mosquitoes also transmit Fowl Pox. The wet variety of Fowl Pox is quite deadly and I would never advise trying to treat a bird suffering from fowl pox because you're only keeping a source of infection by treating a bird who has come down with wet Pox. However vaccination is one solution to this problem.

 

[Folly's place]

Vaccination in the face of an outbreak of fowl pox will help too, because the disease spreads slowly through the flock. I fortunately don't speak from experience on this. Mary