Poultry lice are tiny, wingless, 6-legged, flat-bodied, insects with
Figure 1. Lice eggs at the base of the feather shaft
broad, round heads. They lay their eggs on the host bird’s feathers, especially near the base of the feather shaft (Figure 1). A female louse will lay 50 to 300 eggs at a time, which she cements to the feather shaft. There are several species of lice that affect poultry, and multiple species can affect a bird at any given time. Some species can be localized on specific locations like the quill lice; or others can be found over most of the body surface like the chicken body lice.
The lice found on poultry do not suck blood as the lice found in other species of animals; rather they feed on dry skin scales, feathers, and scabs. However, they will ingest blood extruding from irritated skin. The entire life cycle of the lice occurs on the host bird, primarily in the feathers. Poultry lice are host specific and cannot be transferred to humans.
i guess by this you can say we are both right LOL. i do know that the ivomec did cure it on our flock. im just guessing and may be wrong, but if the blood is poison, then the feathers and skin is probably poison too.
