Mites and Lice!!! Help!!

[Peachesbabychick]

Hi everyone,

I have lice and mites on my birds!! Ewww!

I bought: DE, 10% Permethrin liquid, and permethrin poultry dust. So, here are my questions,

1. How do I treat my coop for this?!?

2. How much 10% permethrin do I mix with water? (they are getting bathes today)

ANY help is SO much appreciated!!!

-Peaches

 

[teach1rusl]

I only use DE as a preventative, in bedding and dustbathing areas.
I'm sure you've already bathed your birds, but I'd just go by whatever they suggest on the bottle for dogs/cats.
In the future, if you go through this again, you might opt for one drop of Frontline Plus on each bird for easy no mess/no fuss treatment. Or Adams Flea/Tick spray. Both are easier to apply than dusting or bathing, in my opinion, and both work like a champ.

 

[pacenme]

Sorry I am new here and was wondering what DE stands for. You can actually use Frontline Plus on chickens to treat Lice/mites?!? I would assume you would use the feline one? Does it work better than the dust?

 

[teach1rusl]

pace - I'm probably butchering the spelling, but DE is Diatomacious Earth. It's powdered,fossilized matter that cuts into the soft skin of small insects...the food grade stuff only (because there is a kind that is used around pools that is a NONO). The cat/dog Frontline is very similar. I often put the dog stuff on my cats, just use a needless syringe to apply 1 cc. But on most chickens just one drop (maybe 2-3 drops on very large birds...and yes, it works well.

Sorry I am new here and was wondering what DE stands for. You can actually use Frontline Plus on chickens to treat Lice/mites?!? I would assume you would use the feline one? Does it work better than the dust?

 

[pacenme]

Thanx for the quick reply! One last question w/ the DE. Do i just cover them and their coop w/ the powder if I think they have lice/mites. Could I then a day or 2 later use the frontline? Do you use the frontline once a month like the dogs/cats? Thanx again!

 

[teach1rusl]

I don't treat my birds unless I've actually seen evidence of lice/mites. This link may help you: http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html
I've only treated one bird before, a little roo we picked up from a farm. I saw a bug scurrying across his skin when I parted his feathers. Then I found the egg clusters when I kept inspecting. He also had scaly leg mites. The rest of my flock have never had mites or lice (and he'd never had contact with my flock until after his treatment was over). You need to part their feathers and look at their skin, especially around the butt area, under wings, and around the neck.
I mix DE into their bedding (wear a mask or kerchief and make sure birds are outside until dust settles) and areas they like to dust bath - so they apply it to themselves as a preventative. I've never put it on them.
I would only use the Frontline if you actually see bugs or egg masses on your birds.

 

[Peachesbabychick]

Thanx for the quick reply! One last question w/ the DE. Do i just cover them and their coop w/ the powder if I think they have lice/mites. Could I then a day or 2 later use the frontline? Do you use the frontline once a month like the dogs/cats? Thanx again!

Thanks everyone for your help! We actually did the full bath for 2 of my girls, you know the soap, the rinse, the dip, the blow drying... Whew! that's alot of work, more then you think. So they got a special spa day, my other girls just got dipped in the permethrin, we towel dried them a bit, then let them run around. I think (I HOPE) it worked. We sprinkled Poultry Dust and DE on the roost, floors, and nest boxes. I will look into the frontline product thanks for the suggestion!

Pacanme: I think you should start your own thread! lol