Broody about to hatch eggs but covered in lice

[louiseoz]

Help please! I have a broody about to hatch chicks (due today/tomorrow) and I have just noticed she has a lice infestation and it looks quite bad! It seems to have come on pretty quickly- I have to physically move her off her nest everyday to feed and I didn't notice any lice before but now she seems to have pulled out lots of feathers on her breast and she looks raw etc. I have just cleaned out her box and pen, putting fresh hay etc in.

All my other birds are healthy and parasite free (broody is in a separate pen). What can I get to treat this and treat the new chicks that hatch tomorrow? Thank you for your help in advance!

 

[MeepBeep]

I personally would not use a direct treatment for the hen with new chicks hatching, instead I would hang a No Pest strip and let it do it's thing...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hot-Shot-Kills-Flying-Crawling-Insects-No-Pest-Strip-2-2.29-Oz/12166874

If you want to do the direct treatment with say Sevin Dust, I would personally wait until the chicks hatch, remove them into a brooder with the No Pest strip in the vicinity and raise them yourself, then treat the hen separately with the dust...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gro-Tec-Sevin-5-Percent-Dust-Shaker-Bottle-1-lb/20659611

That is me, I'm sure others have their ideas...

 

[louiseoz]

Thanks for your help. I will check out the no pest strip!

 

[appps]

Did you see any lice or is it just the featherless breast? Broody's will pick their breast feathers off so they have skin to egg contact with the eggs.

if that is your only sign I think it's pretty safe she is just doing what broody's do, rather than picking due to lice.

 

[louiseoz]

I saw the lice

 

[dawg53]

When you remove her from the nest to feed her, dust her with sevin dust. The sevin dust will kill feather lice on contact, she'll shake herself off after you dust her. While you're at it, change out the hay again to keep the hatchlings lice free.

 

[louiseoz]

Great advice-Thank you. Managed to dust her in time and change the bedding. She just hatched 3 little chicks- my first hatch-lings! OMG I have been so excited all day lol!

I have put some sand and DE into the pen so when they are up to it then can have a good dust bath.

 

[RezChamp]

...

Help please! I have a broody about to hatch chicks (due today/tomorrow) and I have just noticed she has a lice infestation and it looks quite bad! It seems to have come on pretty quickly- I have to physically move her off her nest everyday to feed and I didn't notice any lice before but now she seems to have pulled out lots of feathers on her breast and she looks raw etc. I  have just cleaned out her box and pen, putting fresh hay etc in.

All my other birds are healthy and parasite free (broody is in a separate pen). What can I get to treat this and treat the new chicks that hatch tomorrow? Thank you for your help in advance!
[/quote

I like human quality diatomaceous earth. It's natural, absolutely non-chemical.
I think it's safe even for chicks.

 

[louiseoz]

Thanks Rezchamp! I bought some DE a few days ago and coated everything too...seems to be helping! I popped a small dustbath into the pen for the mum to bathe in too. But the issue I am now having is that the mother hen is covering the floor of the pen in chick starter (obvioulsly teaching her babies how to forage) but its mixing with the DE earth etc.