Can a chicken have both lice and mites at the same time?

[Smokin Silkies]

I have Silkies, and I just found out they have bugs....I've been searching on here for pics and answers but? I noticed it when I saw one of my young white pullets didn't look so good and she's thin. I've only noticed this today. I thought since she has such a HUGE crest that maybe she just can't see her water & food and is losing some weight. So I brought her inside and trimmed her crest and thats when I saw....just 1 little white bug running past her eye. I then looked under her wings where I think I saw some eggs maybe? and a few more white bugs. I'm guessing these are lice from what I read. Then I decided to go look at the rest of her body and there are a TON, I mean covering her body......reddish, brownish bugs? They are bigger than the white ones. I don't see the white ones on her body, only under the wing and vent area and theres only a few of them. The red bugs are only on her body, not around the vent or under the wing area? They are all around the base of her feathers. I've never had bug problems that I was aware of before. She drank and ate alot for me and seems ok right now. Can chickens have both mites and lice at the same time? I'm going to do more searching on treatment....Thanks!

 

[Indiana hens]

sounds like 3 genertions of lice. the mites u need to magnify 2 c.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

They are so gross!!! I've never seen lice or mites before and I've been scratching my whole body since I've seen them! I'm going to buy some sevin tomorrow...hopefully that will do it before she dies.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i don't see why they couldn't have both at the same time. You want to treat her asap as they can kill a chicken, and if she is already depleted that isn't good. What i do for both lice and mites is use ivermectin pour-on for cattle, it's a blue liquid and you can get it at the feed store. Some folks use syringes but i use a dropper bottle, like for eye drops, syringe the liquid in there, then i can easily dispense it. Use 2-3 drops on the back of the neck, it's like how you use Advantage or Revolution for dogs and cats. i would also get some poultry dust and dust her down completely. If you see them up by her face, use some vitamin E oil (squeezed from a capsule) dabbed around on the skin. The bugs tend to run to the face when you dust the chicken and this keeps them off the face. Keep up the healthy food, like hard boiled egg, yogurt, mealworms, greens. Even some Polyvisol without iron (couple drops in side of beak each day) or chicken vitamins in the water (can be found at feed store) would be warranted.

You will want to treat all your chickens and also their coop. Good luck. i hate mites and lice!

 

[Indiana hens]

I use permethrins, or dog shampoo. Same to kill as headlice. usually species specific; but does not matter to me i treat myself after treating the birds.

 

[Smokin Silkies]

You mean, you can catch that lice from them??? I have her in the house and I have children!!! Oh my! She's in another room but? Please tell me humans can't get the mites or lice

 

[Indiana hens]

That is what they say; they will not stay living on u, makes me itch anyway. I eat alot of candy; I would think 1 of em has to have a sweet tooth! Would be a great experiment though!

 

[welasharon]

No, you won't get them from the chickens. And yes, they can and do have both at the same time. I just treated two silkies that had both. I used seven on them. Before I used seven for the first treatment and then ivomec pour on for the second after 10 day treatment. Either works.
sharon

 

[Smokin Silkies]

Oh thank goodness! I got really worried and VERY itchy!!! I hope she makes it til tomorrow because nothings open til then. This stinks!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Chicken lice are different from the lice we can get, like the head lice many children get from school. Same with the mites. You can get them on you but they don't want to stay on you.

The other thing you can get for a malnourished chicken is Exact baby parrot hand-feeding formula from Kaytee. They carry it in most pet stores. It's a powder you mix up and is packed with vitamins, so they get the most nutrition from the food. i personally mix mine with chicken broth, as they seem to like it better that way.