In April I noticed my two leghorns had lice.
Permethrin doesn't seem to be available where I live, either for poultry or horses. It's present in wasp insecticide but with a bunch of other stuff I would not dare use on my chickens.
I treated them and the rest of the flock for weeks using various products : avian powder with pyrethrin, a poultry dimethicone spray supposed to kill the lice mechanically, neem oil, and ashes and DT in the place where they dustbathe.
My problem is that although most of the lice are gone, the two leghorns and one other chicken still keep itching and preening excessively and tearing out their feathers. They scratch mostly around their head and neck, above the legs, and pull out feathers from their vent and belly.
I check them very carefully at least twice a week : sometimes I don't see any lice, sometimes I spot one or two, but never more than that. They are not completely lice free but they are definitely not infested anymore. The lice are very hard to see actually.
Could those remaining lice cause such a level of itchiness, or am I missing something else ?
I am certain that what I see is lice, but smaller than the ones usually shown in pictures and not mobile at all. I have never seen any shafts on the base of the feathers.
I have never seen any louse on the third black chicken affected, but maybe it is because she is black.
I know there are no red mites in the coop - because it's the first year I don't have any. I always have cardboards rolls and pieces of corrugated plastic boards to check for their presence.
It's difficult to take pictures because my leghorns have the temper that people often say they have. Here you can see that she is bald around the head.
If they are facing another problem than lice, could it be feather mites ? I thought this was very rare. I'm not sure what other options I have for treatment at this point. Any insight would be appreciated.
Permethrin doesn't seem to be available where I live, either for poultry or horses. It's present in wasp insecticide but with a bunch of other stuff I would not dare use on my chickens.
I treated them and the rest of the flock for weeks using various products : avian powder with pyrethrin, a poultry dimethicone spray supposed to kill the lice mechanically, neem oil, and ashes and DT in the place where they dustbathe.
My problem is that although most of the lice are gone, the two leghorns and one other chicken still keep itching and preening excessively and tearing out their feathers. They scratch mostly around their head and neck, above the legs, and pull out feathers from their vent and belly.
I check them very carefully at least twice a week : sometimes I don't see any lice, sometimes I spot one or two, but never more than that. They are not completely lice free but they are definitely not infested anymore. The lice are very hard to see actually.
Could those remaining lice cause such a level of itchiness, or am I missing something else ?
I am certain that what I see is lice, but smaller than the ones usually shown in pictures and not mobile at all. I have never seen any shafts on the base of the feathers.
I have never seen any louse on the third black chicken affected, but maybe it is because she is black.
I know there are no red mites in the coop - because it's the first year I don't have any. I always have cardboards rolls and pieces of corrugated plastic boards to check for their presence.
It's difficult to take pictures because my leghorns have the temper that people often say they have. Here you can see that she is bald around the head.
If they are facing another problem than lice, could it be feather mites ? I thought this was very rare. I'm not sure what other options I have for treatment at this point. Any insight would be appreciated.
