Natural/Organic Chicken Lice Treatment?

[Chick CJ]

I'm not sure why, but I followed this dip exactly and almost lost my favorite chicken.
Filled a tank full of the warm (not hot) water, vinegar, and salt. I set my calmest, favorite chicken in the dip and held her for about three minutes. She seemed very relaxed and sleepy. I was thinking just how easy this lice treatment was going to be. After I rinsed her off I sat her in the grass and she feel over. She couldn't walk straight, she was confused, and seemed dizzy. I held her in a towel, fluffing her and keeping her awake for over half an hour. Her eyes kept dialating and she would have occasional hard shakes and gasp. I was a vet tech for several years and have had chickens most of my life. None of the ingredients are harmful so I'm not sure what effected her so badly, but something did. I almost killed my favorite chicken tonight trying out this natural remedy. Please proceed with extreme caution.

Wow, that seems really weird! I wonder if chickens can be allergic to things? If not, I wonder if it was her own system reacting to the process itself. Were there any fumes from the mixture? I guess it is probably something you will never know but it is a curious thing. I am very glad you did not lose your girl!
CJ

 

[demp4]

I'm not sure why, but I followed this dip exactly and almost lost my favorite chicken.
Filled a tank full of the warm (not hot) water, vinegar, and salt. I set my calmest, favorite chicken in the dip and held her for about three minutes. She seemed very relaxed and sleepy. I was thinking just how easy this lice treatment was going to be. After I rinsed her off I sat her in the grass and she feel over. She couldn't walk straight, she was confused, and seemed dizzy. I held her in a towel, fluffing her and keeping her awake for over half an hour. Her eyes kept dialating and she would have occasional hard shakes and gasp. I was a vet tech for several years and have had chickens most of my life. None of the ingredients are harmful so I'm not sure what effected her so badly, but something did. I almost killed my favorite chicken tonight trying out this natural remedy. Please proceed with extreme caution.

Wow! Glad you didn't lose her

 

[SoCal Chick]

Hi there, I was wondering at what age can I start bathing? I have small chicks but want to start prevention as soon as it is safe for them. Same question also for cidar vinegar in their water.

Thank you!

 

[ncastromayor]

Tobacco and Pennyroyal

Thank you for this great information. In looking over some of my books, one called "How to Raise Chickens" by Agricultural Education suggests putting tobacco leaf stems or a handful of chewing tobacco in with your bedding to keep the coop clear of mites and lice. Tobacco plants used to be used for a number of ills before corporations got a hold of it.

They also suggest putting in Pennyroyal to do the same. Imagine how nice and minty that must smell.

I'm going to give this a shot along with putting in DE in the bedding and dusting the birds with DE after they are cleaned up

Thanks for this thread

 

[BabyMyBirdies]

So here's my advice on lice, particularly chewing lice.
Forget the soaks with the oils and salt and vinegar and all the extras...here's all u need to do
I just put my babies in the kitchen sink with nice warm water and get there feathers nice and wet (I'm sure u will notice their feathers seem to repel water)
once that is done get just REGULAR BLUE DAWN dishwashing soap. Start lathering a ring around the throat closest to the head and work your way down. That'll be the barrier that prevents the lice from running to the chickens face which is impossible to soap without getting in their eyes.
Then just add more soap and some water and just lather them up like a dog. No need to soak them in water. Pay special attention to get under the wings and by their vent where the lice like to hang out. Once you've lathered ur chickie up, let sit for a few minutes and rinse. You will be amazed, the lice die and wash right off. If there are alot of eggs in the feathers themselves you'll have t repeat in about 2 weeks. But after the bath just blow dry, which I found my birds love. But they are also handled every day since they were chicks and are very tame. My vet told me that dawn is completely harmless to them. If u have a larger gaggle of chicks, (I only have eight at the moment) then he said boric acid crumbles will work as well with dusting them, which is also safer then sevin and what not. I also use hardwood ash in my run (oak, pecan wood, etc) which has a higher lye content and will help keep things in balance after the baths. I'll even hold them upside down and give them a good dusting for extra insurance if i feel their own dust baths arent doing the job. Since I have had no problems. I put fresh rosemary in their run and dried oregano and garlic powder in their water as well. Strong scented herbs seem to keep the lice and mites away as well. I havent had to use any sort of pesticidal anything and my babies are lice free. Of course its alot more work then dusting with Sevin but I have like chemical phobia so I chose to go the natural route as much as possible lol. I also noticed that if the lice get too bad then that can lead to respiratory problems and just overall lack of well being for the chickies.

NOTE!! Blow dry your chickens! They cannot produce or retain their body heat with wet feathers. If its cold outside I even let them sit in a kennel inside for a few hours before putting them back in their run.

Proud Momma of King Julian, Vlad, Raven, Ginger, Penny, Sweetpea, Blueberry, and Leeza

 

[barrybigbelly]

Hi,
Ive found an amazing product thats 99.9% natural ingrediants, and only takes 2 mins max to treat each chicken, After 20 mins all the lice will be dead, and seem to kill off the eggs too.

you can find details at http://www.backtotheland.co.uk/poultry-health-products-anti-red-mite-paint.htm

They sell via ebay as well, have a look at other peoples comments. Ive tried lots of different methods before, this one is by far the fastest organic way to kill lice, mites etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301320329969?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

[the girls 1]

i read your artical on chicken lice, when you say use2 cups of bonners peppermint soap, is this a liquid soap? I have looked on the internet and can see bars of soap or the liquid soap but if we only use a few drops for humans then 2 cups seems a lot for chickens. I think im misunderstanding something. Am going to try your cure but want to get the quantities correct . Thanks the girls.

 

[Heiko27]

Question: What exact product do people use with pyrethin for lice? I have seen some that are only like .05% to 1%.
Is there another product that I can get in the US that has a higher pyrethrin content? Thanks

 

[Heiko27]

Just curious what other methods have you tried. Might try this, but still hesistant. I want to know the ingredients

Hi,
Ive found an amazing product thats 99.9% natural ingrediants, and only takes 2 mins max to treat each chicken, After 20 mins all the lice will be dead, and seem to kill off the eggs too.

you can find details at http://www.backtotheland.co.uk/poultry-health-products-anti-red-mite-paint.htm

They sell via ebay as well, have a look at other peoples comments. Ive tried lots of different methods before, this one is by far the fastest organic way to kill lice, mites etc.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301320329969?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649