Mites and Lice - Decomtamination hints?

[mediazeal]

Of course I'm freaked out.
I've been reading up on how to treat, what to treat with.
Just looking for folks with experience on what worked since it is such a pain in the keister.

Right now I am looking at spraying down about 70 chickens and 10 turkeys. Can northern fowl mites and lice transfer to the turkeys that live with the chickens? I'm assuming yes.

So what to do? Please review my plan and give any advice you can. I want it to be completely gone and over.

There are multiple coops. We can not trust that humans have not carried contamination to all the coops doing feed and water. So they all need to be treated.

Plan:
Wear a mask and perhaps gloves
coop by coop, remove a bird, spray it down with Adams (kitten strength), put it in a holding pen, repeat.
once the coop is clear of chickens, remove all shavings and burn (the shavings, not the coop, though I am tempted)
sprinkle heavy dusting of DE in coop, add new shavings
should I spray the coop down with something? how long before the chickens can return to it if I spray it with something, just til it drys?

Repeat this process in 10 days.

Advice?

 

[Chicken_Pauper]

I just cleaned out and used Permethrin Spray that I purchased at the feed store for the coop... I used Sevin Dust on the chickens... sprayed the coop after cleaning out and let it dry before letting them back into it...

I can only suggest, on my limited knowledge, that you either spray the coop, after a good cleaning.. early morning and keep them all out of it all day until it is completely dried and aired out... or, use Sevin Dust (sprinkled).... onto the cleaned (washed down) roosts, in the coop, lightly sprinkled into the cleaned and changed bedding, nests.. etc.

Most important is the repeat in ten days due to hatching of eggs from mites, etc.

I don't know about spraying the birds, although the Permethrin Spray I bought does have directions for both surfaces and the chickens (goats, sheep, cattle, dogs, etc.)... but, I believe it says to do it at two different times... not to spray all surfaces and the chickens at exactly the same time.. to let one dry before doing the other?? You could need to check the directions... they are extensive.

The brand I bought at the feed store was/is: durvet Permethrin 10% But, as I mentioned I used it in the coop, on the ground, on surfaces only.

DE with mixed with sand and some some Sevin Dust in a "bathing box" or area for the chickens to dry bath in would be good after initial cleaning and treatments, for prevention?

Or, pour on Eprinex kills some worms, not all... and mites.. at least it's supposed to.. I have not had much luck with it working on mites. Or, maybe I didn't use it right? And, it doesn't kill all types of worms.

Others may have better ideas, know more... Good luck.

 

[mediazeal]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. You got rid of the bugs this way?
I called the feed store and they are suggesting dusting all the birds with permectin powder and dusting all the bedding/shavings with the same.
so revised plan:
pillow case of powder, pop in hen with head out and dust them up
use a sock with powder to dust head sticking out
put chicken in holding pen, next
muck out coops, dust with powder, add new shavings back in
return chickens

I do also have a steamer, I was thinking I might steam out the empty coop, then powder, etc.
any one use the permectin powder?

thanks again for any help, insights, experiences
MUCH appreciated

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
I use the permethrin powder (poultry dust) and sevin dust interchangeably inside a tied-off sock. I put a chicken in a cardboard box lined with a plastic bag to catch the powder and place the chicken in lying on its back. I hold onto it and shake the sock under its wings, around the vent and everywhere except the face. Then I place in another area to keep them apart so I can keep track. Get next chicken and repeat. Repeat in 10 days.

All bedding thrown out (or nest box material) each time or it will definitely come back. Been there, done that. For the coop, I spray with permethrin spray sometimes, and sometimes I just shake sevin dust around. Once a year I just bleach everything out and hose down. I also have used poultry protector in the coop but with an active infestation I would go with the chemicals if it were me.

I do this sock powder treatment every four months, and repeat 10 days later. I recommend wearing long sleeves, take shower afterward, mask and gloves. Don't do this inside the coop as the powder flies everywhere...and I gassed myself this way once. I have treated up to 60 chickens or so at a time this way and it is a big chore. Now I am taking a break from chickens until spring as I just got so tired with 58. I will buy about SIX chickens in February.

I switched to using sweet pdz on the floor and treating the whole thing like a poop board with no shavings and scraping every day, since every time I use shavings I notice more mites. This method doesn't work on those days when it goes down to 20 degrees, though and I have to wait until it thaws.

You can beat those mites, you can!!!! They definitely get killed off with the sevin or permethrin.
http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html