A question about lice

[Sussex19]

I was wondering if some lice is ever OK?
Ever since we got chickens about a year and a half ago, they've had some.
I've tried treating them, which clears the problem for a while but then they come back.
The chickens never seemed to be bothered by them, laying well, growing well, have been broody and raised chicks all with no problems.
Now we have 21 chickens in total and it just doesn't seem very practical treating that many, and they've always come back anyway, so I'm slightly concerned about making them resistant.
So I'm thinking that I might just leave it unless they actually start to cause problems.
Any thoughts on this?

 

[Firsttimehens1234]

I was wondering if some lice is ever OK?
Ever since we got chickens about a year and a half ago, they've had some.
I've tried treating them, which clears the problem for a while but then they come back.
The chickens never seemed to be bothered by them, laying well, growing well, have been broody and raised chicks all with no problems.
Now we have 21 chickens in total and it just doesn't seem very practical treating that many, and they've always come back anyway, so I'm slightly concerned about making them resistant.
So I'm thinking that I might just leave it unless they actually start to cause problems.
Any thoughts on this?

My family’s old chickens had lice and at first we didn’t notice it and the chickens didn’t seem to mind but after some time there were so many lice that it would itch everywhere if you would go and collect eggs,and when we started treatment I lifted one up and my whole arm was covered with lice and we had to kill them in the end. So I suggest that you put something against lice in their water, and Hermexid powder in the places they like so bath ingood luck

 

[Sussex19]

family’s old chickens had lice and at first we didn’t notice it and the chickens didn’t seem to mind but after some time there were so many lice that it would itch everywhere if you would go and collect eggs,and when we started treatment I lifted one up and my whole arm was covered with lice and we had to kill them in the end. So I suggest that you put something against lice in their water, and Hermexid powder in the places they like so bath ingood luck

Can one buy something to put in water? I've only heard of dusting them, which I did do, although it's very hard to get everywhere.
As far as putting it in the bathing spots, I did consider it but decided against it as I didn't really want to spread it around the garden to much, as it could run off into a river and its apparently toxic to fish.
Thanks very much for the suggestion though.
Oh and we are in Australia so I don't no if one can get the same things here.

 

[Sussex19]

@Eggcessive I was wondering if you could give an opinion on my original question? It would be really appreciated, but don't worry if you're busy.

 

[InterestingChickens]

I was wondering if some lice is ever OK?
Ever since we got chickens about a year and a half ago, they've had some.
I've tried treating them, which clears the problem for a while but then they come back.
The chickens never seemed to be bothered by them, laying well, growing well, have been broody and raised chicks all with no problems.
Now we have 21 chickens in total and it just doesn't seem very practical treating that many, and they've always come back anyway, so I'm slightly concerned about making them resistant.
So I'm thinking that I might just leave it unless they actually start to cause problems.
Any thoughts on this?

Lice will build up, so always best to treat them when you first see it. Do you repeat the process of dusting the birds for once a week for at least 3 weeks? This is important as it helps to break the cycle of lice. Total irradiation requires cleaning the bird's environment as well.

 

[Sussex19]

I did treat them ones a week for 3 weeks, I think (it was a little while ago) and they still came back.
They don't seem to be building up, it's only if you're really looking that one finds them, which is why I thought it might not be to much of a problem.

 

[InterestingChickens]

I did treat them ones a week for 3 weeks, I think (it was a little while ago) and they still came back.
They don't seem to be building up, it's only if you're really looking that one finds them, which is why I thought it might not be to much of a problem.

Did you clean the surrounding environment, most importantly their coop?

 

[Sussex19]

I can't really remember, possibly not, so that could be it I guess.
Is it the eggs or the actual lice that end up in the coop? I've only ever seen them on the actual birds.
Is it actually possible to eradicate them?

 

[InterestingChickens]

I can't really remember, possibly not, so that could be it I guess.
Is it the eggs or the actual lice that end up in the coop? I've only ever seen them on the actual birds.
Is it actually possible to eradicate them?

It would depend on the type of mities you have. Northen fowl mites can only live for two to three weeks away from a chicken. However Red Roost mites live in cracks in the coop or under the roost as the name suggests and come out at night to feed. If you do have a case of mites you would most likely have Northen fowl mites as you have only seen them on the body of your chickens. Mites can be grey, brown or red in colour.

Lice can live for up to one week off a chicken. They are larger and yellow or brown in colour with six legs. Lice are much easier to make out visually.

Yes, it would be very hard to fully eradicate these such insects, but we can help birds to manage them by providing access to dust bathes, clean and hygienic conditions and treatments when necessary.

 

[Sussex19]

It's definitely lice on the chickens, there was I think red roost mites awhile back in the coop, but after a thorough clean (we did clean it then but that was a different time to when we treated the lice) they seem to have gone.
So I guess the thing is to just treat them when necessary, as in if they start to get out of hand?
The chickens have access every day to dust bathes that they made themselves when they're free ranging.
Thanks very much you help!