chicken lice and people lice

[sunshineinsc]

Can a child get lice from chickens?

The kid I babysit has lice and her mom made a comment about the chickens. I'm pretty sure you can't get lice from chickens but I want your opinions.

I never have the kid around my chickens. I don't think my kids have lice. Heck I don't think my chickens do either! I'm gonna check both in a minute. Last time I checked my chickens about a month ago they were clean.

I have 5 kids and have never had a case of lice before so I'm kinda freaking out and itching.

 

[CrazyChickMom]

I don't know the answer to your question but there has never been any mention on here about people getting lice from chickens. No one has ever said..."get rid of that lice or you'll get it too!"

 

[beepbeepinajeep]

My mom & grandmother never let us play with wild feathers b/c they said you could get lice from them. I doubt very seriously that the kid you babysit got lice from your chickens though esp if you don't have it & she hasn't been around the chickens.

 

[briana1975]

Head lice is a human only lice. You CAN NOT get it from animals because animals DO NOT carry head lice. Head lice need human blood to live. Go to headlice.org they have some great info. My son woke up one morning in April with it. It took me 3 days to completly treat the whole house. I had piles of laundry like you wouldn't belive. I had to wash things that were clean. I even melted a babydoll in the dryer. I hope to never go through that again. If she doesn't treat the whole house they will keep getting it.

 

[Mourningdove]

Oh boy don't I remember this issue well! Here's the thing....years ago
my daughter dated then married a boy from up the street. This boy was 1 of 4 kids living with their dad... their dad ran a chicken laying house and he made all his kids work in it...well my kids all became friends and hung out with them. That family kept lice, the chicken house never looked or smelled clean, this is why the family kept lice.
I had a time here because 1 of my daughters kept lice as long as she hung with them, I like to have never got rid of it.

So yes it can happen! If chickens have mites and lice and you are around them yes you can catch it from them. (A I knew doctor called this scabbies if humans caught it)
Even if you are not around the chickens but around people who are around the chickens.
Does this make sence?

Maybe your childs friend has a worry wart mom? Can you not show her how clean yours are? I honestly don't believe you can get it if your not around it. Good Luck!

 

[briana1975]

Quote:
They kept getting the lice because the dad was not treating the house for it. They weren't getting it from the chickens. Chickens don't get head lice they get some other kind of lice. If this person wasn't keeping the chickens clean he probably wasn't taking the time to clean everything you would need to do to get rid of the head lice either.

 

[lavacaw]

I was told not to play with wild feathers because they carried mites, not lice. If I remember my biology correctly, the lice that infest animals are NOT the same ones that infest humans and cannot be picked up that way. They will move person to person or via inanimate objects such as combs, brushes, headrests on chairs, telephones, etc.

By all means, check your children for lice, vacuum thoroughly and get some of the spray designed to kill them on furniture, etc. at the first sign of any.

 

[classless chickens]

Here is a link that proves that chicken lice are just that...chicken lice. I got this from a post that sillystunt put up about mites. It is very good.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

 

[jywel417]

Lice are species specific. I work at a vet and we have owners come in all the time where children have gotten lice and their pediatricians tell them that they must have gotten the lice from the dog. You would think they would teach them that in med school . . . . that lice are species specific and all . . . . oh well . . . . lol

good luck with your lice issue

 

[CMV]

Quote:
This is correct. You cannot get lice from chickens. The bird lice may crawl on you briefly if your birds are absolutely infested and you handle/hold your birds and they may even attempt a nibble, but then they don't stay on humans. They drop off in search of an avian host.