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

 

[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.

 

[Eggcessive]

@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.

I would try to treat them at least twice or 3 times 10 days apart to get the live lice and then the newly hatched eggs. Permethrin spray or dust is very good to use. Spinosad, in some products is probably even better, but expensive. But the coop must be treated when all bedding and nest material is removed. Ivermectin which comes in oral or pour-on topical can be used as well. Nothing is easy when medicating chickens because the best treatment is individual. Lice are very bothersome, and make them jumpy and nervous from constantly itching. They will eventually spread to all chickens in the coop. I had chickens for years without lice, and then a good friend brought over a young cockerel of a breed I wanted. Unbeknownst to me, he had lice, and eventually all of my chickens had them.

 

[McChooky]

If you're not willing to treat all the birds at the same time and the coop you will keep lice.
No parasite is good for a flock, internal or external. Having lice robs them of vital nutrients and causes pain and suffering which leads to disease.If having them since you got the chickens hasn't convinced you to get rid of them I don't know what will.

 

[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.

 

[McChooky]

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.

"it's only if you're really looking that one finds them"

Clean & remove bedding then treat the coop, nest box & chickens with products that kill lice & eggs both.Searching & treating the chickens you find it on won't get rid of them.

 

[McChooky]

Your chickens may be gotten lice thru a friends or neighbors chickens or even wild birds. Lice and mites both can also be carried on peoples shoes and clothes and spread quickly untreated. If you're getting rid of the cockerels please do so with full disclosure .

 

[Eggcessive]

It is hard to do a complete cleanout and treatment of the coop at 10 day intervals. I cannot say weather it would be better to do it after the first treatment or the second. A lot of chicken keeping comes from your experiences.

 

[raingarden]

A lot of wild and feral birds carry a few lice. Wild ducks may be the worst. They have to preen and scratch at them, bathe regularly and stuff like that but can get along fine under normal circumstances. However, if a bird gets weak or comes down with something or is sitting, the lice can take advantage of their poor hygiene and lice numbers explode. Without intervention the lice can be what finally does them in.