Crap, How do I get rid of lice??????

[lauranickerson]

I just bought 5 laying hens from a lady on Craigslist that deemed them perfectly healthy. When I got them home, they had lice! And possible a few have scaly leg mites. I immediately doused them in DE, then ran to Tractor Supply and found Garden and Poultry Dust. I hung them by their feet and covered them! Then I put more DE on them. Also put Vaseline on their legs. Is there anything else I should do?

And I'm curious: I'm leaving for my vacation tomorrow night. Can I powder them one more time, then put them with my flock and dust them again when I get home. I'll be gone about 9 days. Will my other chickens get lice if I do that? I think I've managed to stay lice-free so far, so I'd rather deal with 5 birds rather than like 30. :/

 

[barrybigbelly]

I accidently found the quickest way to get rid of lice, with an amazing natural product, no egg withdrawal. I found lice looked dead after only 5 mins using something called "Douse that Louse"

http://backtotheland.co.uk/poultry-health-products-anti-red-mite-paint.htm

In the past ive had to re-treat for lice only after a week, cos the lice eggs hatch, but this stuff seems to kill the lice eggs too! I was well impressed as i didnt have to treat my chickens again for weeks

They also sell something to get rid of red mite naturally as well.

hope this helps someone else.

 

[micheleag2010]

One of my Easter eggers has lice just in her beard and high neck region. I immediately ran for my DE. Good to know about the 7 day repeat rule. I'll throw more down in the run for them to dust bathe in. Catching these ladies is sometimes like pulling teeth.

 

[KK4CWT]

I ran to CVS when I found out my new Craigslist Americana rooster had a bad case of lice. I got the 3 step human lice killer. I shampooed the rooster, and while I held him the required 10 minutes my little brother used the included spray in the roosters living quarters, then used Sevin dust, then DE. I rinsed my rooster, all the lice are dead!

4 days later I used a dog flea oatmeal bath on him to try to soothe the redness. That didn't work at all, he's still red and irritated. Yesterday was 7 days from the first treatment, so he got shampooed and rinsed again to kill any nits that may have hatched. He's still loosing feathers a lot, and he still has small nit clumps on his feathers, but the big not clumps are gone, and his poo has firmed up and rounded up, so I guess he's doing a lot better. I also see signs of his feathers regrowing!

I have 3 questions, how do I get the nit clumps off him? Do I just let them fall off with the feathers? How long will he stay red?

 

[mommaofchickens]

I got a chicken from craigslist also came home and found out she had lice really bad her belly was bloated and raw. I did a 2 minute wash and soak in dawn to drown the lice and then I did a 20 minute soak in apple cider vinager. The eggs looked so bad I clipper all that I could see (all located on velly ) when she was dry and clean I sprayed her butt with coconut oil. worked like a charm ! no lice

 

[Moonbird5]

Can I use DE to dust my chickens ?

 

[lifthiminsong]

Would you mind suggesting amounts and ratios of the Tea Tree shampoo and vinegar you used to bathe your chickens?
Also, did you scrub or just soak your girls? Pluck the "q-tips" or leave them?

Thanks so much!

 

[snowflake]

DE is dangerous, it causes lung disease so make sure you use a mask when using it. also there is no proof that it kills anything although I know a lot of people swear by it.
7's a garden dust can also be used Ivermectin works good for lice. once you are rid of the lice a good dust bath tub with sand, peat, wood ash and maybe DE if you like. the birds will dust regularly and you should not have any more trouble with lice. leg mites are a little harder I think, (never been blessed with them) they need to be suffocated. with some sort of oil,Vaseline,

NEVER put new birds in with your birds till after at least 3 weeks quarantine. they could have something worse then lice. they may have a disease that they are immune to but could kill your flock.

 

[Chickie McFuzz]

does anyone know if it is a problem to treat for worms and lice at the same time? would that be too much for the birds? or is it better to just try and get rid of everything as quickly as possible?

 

[Bccblue88]

One of my Easter eggers has lice just in her beard and high neck region. I immediately ran for my DE. Good to know about the 7 day repeat rule. I'll throw more down in the run for them to dust bathe in. Catching these ladies is sometimes like pulling teeth.

Do you know how to get the nits out of their beards and muffs? My two little pullets have them there and their feathers are just so tiny there I am not sure what to do.