somebody help me now before I kill ALL of my chickens

[mothergoose1963]

This thread is like a bad movie! I cant quit reading it even though I am totally grossing out and itching!!!! UGH! Now I need to go inspect my flock, too!

I read a good idea on here somewhere about using a flour sifter to spread DE (Diatamacious Earth --not spelled right). I thought that was pretty clever. I have been just sprinkling it around when I change their bedding and nests. I also use it in their food. The flour sifter would definately sprinkle the stuff more evenly.

Earl May Garden Center got my DE for me. It was food grade and 11 dollars for each big sack--I think it was ten pounds. I like it because it doesnt effect the eggs.

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

have you guys seen how big lice are? they're like the size of a piece of rice. Its disgusting. when you pull their feathers back, they hurry and scurry away.
I'll tell you what, I like chickens, I like the eggs, and i enjoy raising them, but this lice thing has really shed a new light on raising POULTRY for me. They arent my snuggly pets, they are livestock, and I am not nearly as fond of them as I used to be. They couldnt care less about me anyway, so its not like they will be hurt by my lack of affection....
Dont get me wrong, I will still take the best care of them I possibly can, but just, eewww.

 

[mothergoose1963]

I dont snuggle with my chickens, either. They are definately livestock! I save the snuggling for my dogs.

 

[mirecipes]

There are 2 different kinds of DE

The kind you can get from the feed store, and the kind that some folks use in pool filters..

Do not use the pool kind!!!

I have an old wheelbarrow with sand and DE inside my fenced area for the chickens..They use it as a dust bath

 

[Reinbeau]

Do you sprinkle DE directly on the birds? And how often, on a maintenance schedule, should this be done? I'd hate to have my birds get as bad as the original poster's (nothing personal, I'm learning, too!) - and I did know they could get lice and mites, I just didn't understand what the maintenance schedule would be.

 

[mothergoose1963]

I personally havent put it on my birds directly. I put it where they dust, in their nests, on their roosts and some in their food. I havent ever seen a louse or a mite on them, but then again, maybe I need better glasses! I am a little concerned about getting it into their eyes. I am learning too--and feel like a sponge soaking up all the information I learn on this site!

 

[momofdrew]

I started with DE from first day in the coop and so far so good [KNOCK ON WOOD]...I check my birds about once a month and have yet to see any creepy crawlies...They love to dust bathe and have tried keeping DE in their different bath sites too...

 

[kryptoniteqhs]

ok so first thing today i went and checked my flock! first the banties, theyre new and havent been exposed to anything....then redsexlinks, theyre new but have been with my rhode island reds, and then my rir rooster who has been with everyone but the banties (new also). Well guess what, lil mr roo roo has lice AND mites. which completely explains his dull feathers and broken and lack of as many feathers. i always thought he looked slightly malnurished......part of all this is his age too...hes only 3mos old. anywho i bought him from a lady who bought him from an auction....and i already know all the critisism im going to get for not quarantining him and the others longer. i know, i know, i know!!!!

i learned my lesson believe me...hes (was----next part of my story) in quarantine. the others are all being treated, although they checked out ok, they've been exposed. i officially have 2 quarantine places. i dont think the lice were bad and i think i saw one mite....could be mistaken. i rushed outta there in a hurry and went straight to tractor supply and got some powdery stuff for "poultry, gardens, dogs, etc." it was the only one that said it treats for lice AND mites! hope it works...all my chickens are white powder balls now....i hope they dont ingest it, it had a strong smell.....so anywho...i put mr. roo roo in a separate pen while i went to tractor supply. i knew hed probably excape from the pen because i didnt shut the top door, but i figured "hey, why not give it a shot for a minute" Not like it really matters, the damage is already done and i was gonna be back in 20minutes. anywho i got back and figured id check and see if he might still be there and a stray cat (never seen it before) jumps out of the coop and mr roo is no where to be found. i figured when he got out he would go back to his hens. well, it was dark and hes not where i left him or roosting with his hens and there was a cat. did not see a carcass and im sure hes fine. ill check back in the morning and give you an update. but at least if the cat ate him it might get lice/mites!!!

all well......worst part is i hadnt gotten to treat him yet. all wells.....he wasnt that pretty yet anyways

just kidding he'll probably show up in the morning, im not worried....plus i nicknamed him roadrunner cuz hes the fastest darn thing ive seen in my life....could out run a kitty cat easy!

 

[flagday76]

Where there are chickens, there are lice!

Poultry lice are species specific, so don't be worried about becoming infested with them yourself. But...they are GROSS buggers!! I have had quite a few creepy-crawlies end up on me after handling infested chickens, and let me tell you that can give you quite a shock to see them!!
Don't give up on keeping chickens just yet, though.

It will only take a few lousy-incidents to get you over the initial fear of them...consider this...
The first time I had lice crawl up arm off a chicken, I dropped the rooster I was holding, screamed bloody-murder, ripped off my jacket, flung it around like I was mad, and ran away from the pen. I put on some winter gloves (mind you, it was early summer!), went back out to the pen, grabbed the rooster, shoved him in a box, and took him to the auction the next day. On the way to the auction, I stopped at Burger King to grab a coffee and breakfast. As I was standing in line, I noticed some lice on my jacket sleeve. I froze with fear...how the hay was I going to get rid of these buggers in the BK without drawing attention to what I was doing? I walked outside swiftly and went over to the bushes, where I proceeded to swipe and pick the lice off my jacket...sweating with panic and fear the whole time. After a few minutes, I gathered myself, and thought about this...I was on my way to sell a nice rooster because he had lice...had even taken the steps to put on massive gloves so as to not touch him while putting him in the box, driven over an hour into a two-and-a-half hour trip...and it never dawned on me that the lice would CRAWL OUT OF THE BOX AND AROUND MY JEEP!!! As I was standing there thinking about this, I noticed one of the dreaded things in my hair. I removed the bug from my tresses, got my coffee and breakfast, got back in the jeep, and drove to the auction...I sold the rooster and a hen for double what I paid for them, but also learned a lesson...with chickens, lice happens. You may not like lice...heck, you can even loathe them...but try not to panic over them, because poultry lice will not harm you. There are ways to deal with them. Don't give up yet.

By the way, I have since then become less fearful of 'them', and won't sell a nice chicken just because they are infested with lice...

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Checked my flock for two days now. Nothing but a bad eye in one. They are all getting sulmet for 10 days for the eye thing.

Hey, whatsup chickenbutt, love the name. Suprised the mods do not change you to whatsup chickenposterier. LOL