How often do you all dust your chickens for mites/lice?

Yesterday me and my little girl was our at the hen house to visit our chicky's. We love to hold our chicky's! Guess what was crawling on her arm & mine...something that looked like a louse, very small straw colored louse. It was just one bug on us each (that I seen) we stripped and showered immediately and the clothes are out on the line. I've doing some reading this AM about it. I'm going to do chicky inspection this afternoon after work.
I have thick, all waist length hair and I can't image getting lice from these birds. I'm really bummed and need some inspiration. I just got all these birds 7/1 and I've been battling what is suspected to be infectious coryza and now lice??? I know there are a lot of chicken pet owners that hold your birds; how are you not getting infested yourselves?

I'm going to dust the fire out of them with Seven dust every 7 days for a few weeks. And spread it all over the hen house too. I'd appreciate any advise.

I'm really sad I can't hold my chicky's!

We dust the coop, nests, dirt bathing spots, and birds once in the Spring, and once in the Fall. We don't use Sevin, but Poultry Dust. We've never had an outbreak of lice or mites. I'm not sure what the standard is for dusting times, but this is what we do. Sorry to hear about the lice--I hope your birds will come through it okay. Good luck!

Just so you know and don't have to worry, chicken lice don't bother humans. Different critter entirely than the ones that like humans.
You can hold your chicky's
JJ

Speaking of mites - can chicken mites infect dogs?

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It's very possible that the lice were part of the original problem, causing a little reduction in immune system. I agree that you shouldn't have to worry about the straw colored lice. It's more the "sucking lice" which I find are grey and then their abdomens turn red when they fill with blood that are cross-species.

Instead of Sevin, I'd highly recommend Permethrin products if you can. But either will do. They should be gone in three dustings, and your coop will have residual effect of that sevin.

Perhaps this will help them heal a little faster, too! Think of the positive side of it. /hug

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Poultry Dust, eh? speak to me more of this Poultry Dust. Where do you get it? is there a brand name? what's in it? Thanks!

What is in Poultry Dust??

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Poultry dust is "permethrin" in its active ingredient. (Always read the active ingredient). It used to be made of flowers - ground up petals. But these days it's made chemically into the same chemical. The reason I don't use Sevin is that it's devestating to waterfowl, of which I have a lot. It also kills honeybees (which are already having enough troubles with diseases) and it's just very very long lasting and dreadful. (Unfortunately I used it for years before and had no idea the toll it was taking.)

permethrin comes in dust and sprays. Dust is usually something like "Poultry Dust", "Poultry and Garden dust", "Livestock and poultry lice dust", etc. The active ingredient is the key. If you use it to prevent or kill mites, you can get liquid. Then it's still permethrin (generally under 10% solution) and called "Ectiban EC", or "Goat Lice Spray". I understand you can use some permethrin sprays on the birds too, but I just use the dust.

You can also use Adams Flea and Tick mist on crested birds, incidentally. It's handy for spot-treating heads, too. Roll a papertowel into a tightly pointed cone - spray the cone end well, use to wipe into their "beards" and around their face (tho not by their eyes). You can cover their face with your hand and spray forwards (from behind their head towards their beak) and ruffle that into their neck feathers in a pinch.

But permethrin dusts for the bird and sprays for the wood are awesome. They do have quick knock down, actually.

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Poultry dust is "permethrin" in its active ingredient. (Always read the active ingredient). It used to be made of flowers - ground up petals. But these days it's made chemically into the same chemical. The reason I don't use Sevin is that it's devestating to waterfowl, of which I have a lot. It also kills honeybees (which are already having enough troubles with diseases) and it's just very very long lasting and dreadful. (Unfortunately I used it for years before and had no idea the toll it was taking.)

permethrin comes in dust and sprays. Dust is usually something like "Poultry Dust", "Poultry and Garden dust", "Livestock and poultry lice dust", etc. The active ingredient is the key. If you use it to prevent or kill mites, you can get liquid. Then it's still permethrin (generally under 10% solution) and called "Ectiban EC", or "Goat Lice Spray". I understand you can use some permethrin sprays on the birds too, but I just use the dust.

You can also use Adams Flea and Tick mist on crested birds, incidentally. It's handy for spot-treating heads, too. Roll a papertowel into a tightly pointed cone - spray the cone end well, use to wipe into their "beards" and around their face (tho not by their eyes). You can cover their face with your hand and spray forwards (from behind their head towards their beak) and ruffle that into their neck feathers in a pinch.

But permethrin dusts for the bird and sprays for the wood are awesome. They do have quick knock down, actually.

I was just wondering if this can be done as a preventative. Right now, I currently sprinkle de in the bedding, etc-but what about the poultry dust. Can I do this alongside the de or just wait for a problem to occur? Thanks for your help!

To the OP-sorry for hijacking!

threehorses - thanks for the info!!! I was not planning on using Sevin.....concerned about it for some of the reasons you mentioned. Feel so much better about the poultry dust option. Thanks again!