Are black poultry more prone to lice/mites?

[silkieluver_07]

I was checking my black silkies, and they have many whitish eggs attached to their beards. There are no parasites on their body, only eggs. How would I treat this? Give them a bath in Adam's? How do I remove the eggs from the beard? None of my blue or splash birds have eggs/parasites and their in the same pen.

Are black birds more likely to attract parasites?

 

[threehorses]

Maybe because of the warmth of their feathers?

I'd bet there are some on the others, but that you can't see them. As for removing them, you likely can't. INstead you have to treat and then retreat a couple of times when hatching is likely.

 

[chubbydog811]

Hope someone can answer, I'm curious too! I just found lice on my birds today, only on the lakenvelder and the black sexlinks, not the Red sexlinks or white leghorns...

I coated everything in a layer of DE...Hopefully it works!

 

[silkieluver_07]

Anyone else have thoughts on this?

 

[silkieluver_07]

What should I do about the eggs in their beards? I want to show them in our 4-H fair at the end of July. Help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[3peeps]

Hmmm...my lighter girls don't seem to have the problems that our darker ones do. Our barred rocks and a dark brown mix seem to be the worst. In fact, our two white hens are the cleanest. Interesting.

As for the eggs on the beard, I would think the only thing to do would be to very, very carefully apply a treatment by hand. Maybe with a small paint brush or make up brush? Maybe enlist some help if possible, and sort of hold the head in place shielding the eyes. Kind of puff it around so that you get a good even dusting...no clumps to shake off into their eyes/nose. Anyone think this is good? I'm just going on what I know about how the dust applies...I've never done a beard or head.

Maybe there are some liquid treatments you could try as well...also with a small brush?

I'm sure the whole bird needs to be treated as well.

I will be using sevin dust tonight on my own girls.

 

[Msbear]

Hey Silky, just keep treat them for parasites now and again in 10 days and maybe again 10 days from then. This will keep new generations of bugs. The lice eggs will have hatched and gone way before your show so no worries

Just keep new eggs from being laid which means getting rid of the problem.

The knits are like cement and nothing will disolve them. The only way to get rid of them is to pluck the feathers. ..or let them wear away naturally.. in a couple weeks.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
I've been checking their beards every couple of days and it seems like the eggs aren't hatching? I checked their bodies and couldnt find any adult parasites on them, only eggs.

I cleaned the coop out last night and used the last of this poultry/garden powder. I dont think this stuff is as powerful as sevin dust, but our walmart and garden stores dont carry the powder form any longer.

Maybe I should pluck their beards and make them non-bearded silkies. Hmmmm........

Just kidding!!!! I'd never do that to them.

 

[NYREDS]

Mite/lice infestations in chickes can be hard to understand. First of all there are several different mites that can infest chickens not just one. I raise Rhode Island Red Bantams, some of which never get any kind of mites at all. I also have some Black Rosecombs which, when not in breeding pens, run in the same flock with the Reds. The Rosecombs I have to watch constantly or they end up covered with unwanted guests. Over the weekend I found that one of my Brown Leghorn Males had mites under his tail. [Some mites are site specific-ones that live under the tail won't set up camp under the wings???] The Brown Leghorn Male in the adjoining cage had not a mite?
I assume body chemistry differences accout for this as can be the case in people.
Seven is going off the market at the end of this year & I think people are buying it up-there's none left at my Walmart either. I did find some at Home Depot yesterday. You might check there if there's one near you.

 

[silkieluver_07]

Quote:
I will go there and see if its still available. Do you know why Sevin is going off the market?