Could i have some help with my 4h project

[Thesrman]

hey everyone so for my 4h project i am taking vet science and i am doing it focused on external parasites. my leader suggested looking for just what everyone else may use to treat mites and lice. the treatments dont need to be proven im just reading it all over to give myself a general idea.
the mites i would like some info on would be
Northern fowl mites
Scaly leg and face mites
Red mites or Chicken mites
and Lice
thanks so much for your time anything will help

 

[Acre4Me]

Good luck on your project!

We’ve treated for lice. Clean out and spray coop with permethrin spray. We use the concentrate, dilute with water and use garden sprayer to spray. We then directly spray each bird on the vent and under wings, between legs with the spray.


We provide a dry sandy-diet area for dust bath, and have been adding wood ash to their favorite spots, as the wood ash contains certain compounds known to help with deterring/killing lice/mites.

 

[paneubert]

Does it need to be "approved" for use in chickens? Many of the treatments use drugs and products used "off label" for chickens.

 

[BugStalker]

Oil, (Vaseline might be toxic?) or something to smother scaley leg mites, oily roost brackets for red mites, permethrin or wood Ash for other lice/mites. I actually tested wood Ash versus permethrin on lice. Basically, the ash took 10 times longer to work. In practice, it required more frequent treatment, but I am unaware of any toxicity from the extra treatment, so it was just more inconvenient. Incidentally, after that test, I haven't found any lice, anywhere, though I used to find them regularly and treat with permethrin. I wouldn't think that wood Ash would be that long-lasting, but some wood does deter bugs, like ceder. The problem with ceder is that it also irritates chickens. I used to throw a few pieces in when I had lice, as long as ventilation was enough to keep fumes from building up.

 

[paneubert]

If you are ok with "off label", fipronil kills most lice, mites, and other external parasites. It is basically dog flea medication. People will drip a drop or two on the skin (like you do with dogs), or get the spray kind and spray them in the wing pits like you are applying deodorant to your armpits.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

PoultryDVM is a really good website for additional information.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/northern-fowl-mites
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/scaly-leg-mites
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/poultry-red-mites
http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/lice

I've only ever had to treat for North Fowl Mite. Per my vet's recommendation, I used Frontline spray. I lightly spritzed my flock and worked it into their feathers. I did this once a week for four weeks. I also sprayed down every square inch of the coops. I've never had an outbreak since.

Frontline is off-label use for chickens, and the eggs have to be discarded for 30 days after after the last treatment.

 

[Eggcessive]

DE is not effective as a mite or lice treatment, but some use it especially in orther countries where pesticides are not available.

Whichever treatment used, the coop bedding and nests must be removed and burned or bagged, and replaced with clean new bedding after the coop is treated.

Permethrin 10 concentrate to be mixed with water is very good for both mites and lice on the body. Treatment is required once and again at 7 days for mites and 10 days for lice, to treat the bugs, and later the newly hatched bugs before they lay eggs. It can be used in a bottle sprayer or garden sprayer. Permethrin garden dust is also good to use, especially in cold weather.

Elector PCP is very good for treatment, although it costs a lot of money.

Ivermectin pour-on or oral is good for lice and mites, but requires a long egg withdrawal time. Dosage is 0.1 ml for each 2 pounds of weight. Ivermectin is excellent for leg mites, since leg mites require a different strategy.

Sevin dust (carbaryl is no longer approved for poultry, but has been used in the past, or now in some countries.)
Here are some very good articles with pictures:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

https://anrcatalog.ucanr.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

Scaly leg mites are treated differently. Ivermectin works well, and legs can be soaked once a week in warm soapy water. Use an old toothbrush to very gently loosen scales and any debris. Then apply a thick oil to the legs once a week rubbling it into the scales. Vaseline, coconut oil, castor oil, mineral oil, or vegetable oil are very good. Repeat this for at least a month.

 

[Thesrman]

thanks so much for the feedback
ill look more into permethrin and look for brands near me for dog/cat/garden products.

 

[BugStalker]

thanks so much for the feedback
ill look more into permethrin and look for brands near me for dog/cat/garden products.

Permethrin is dangerous for cats.

 

[Eggcessive]

Vaseline or petroleum jelly is not toxic. Every prescription eye and many skin ointments for humans contains petrolatum as a base ingredient.