Exactly how do you dust a chicken for lice?

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Now THAT sounds like a great system. Although I think I was very lucky with the chicks I got, I have never seen a mite or a louse, they have all their feathers, it got to 108 here today, I have 6 chickens, and I collected 6 eggs.

After reading all this, I'm never getting any new chickens - I'll just keep these forever! (I do my yard with beneficial nematodes, so no fleas and not many ants either.)
 
Sorry to bring up an old thread but...

I used the trash bag method with poultry dust, but my chickens beards are covered with the eggs. Is there anyway to get these off now or do I just wait and keep dusting them as they hatch?

So gross
 
I did the dusting one time only, (after this post) and I'll never do it again. I now use ivermectin drops on the back of their neck. I found the dusting to be absolutely brutal--all that poison floating around in the air. Bad for me and my dd who helped me, and also bad for the chcikens to inhale. The ivermectin seems to do the trick and so much less stressful. Put drops on their neck and three weeks later do it again. You could redust in a few weeks if you are so inclined.
 
Someone noted in another thread (one I started on how soon does Ivermectin kill lice and mites) that northern fowl mites are developing tolerance to Ivermectin. I noticed that while a back-of-the-neck Ivermectin treatment killed lice right away, the mites were still there and needed additional treatment. Something to consider, since lice might eventually gain tolerance too. It's better to have a variety of methods that can be alternated.
 
so brand name Noromectin will work? I got it to treat my dog for heart worms, the feed store says its the same thing as Ivamec, even though it says to not use it for dogs on the lable

its a 1% solution
 
Ivermectin is not safe for certain types of breeds in dogs--like collies etc. Noromectin is what I have--mine is .08% sheep drench three drops to the back of the neck for standard size chickens. Never had a mite problem, it has alsways worked for lice. Miind you, I have only had lice twice, and once I brought the kitties out to the barn to take care of the wild birds, i haven't had a problem.
 
i just found lice on my hatch chicks
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welp gess im gonna go in the morning and get some lice powder i will have to do my intire flock its gonna be dificult because my game roosters are mean and i will mostlikelyget bit like 400 times tomarrow oh and can lice kill chicks or chickens?
 
zacman, if your chicks are under broody hens you can just dust the hens. The chicks will get some of the dust on them from the hens.

And welasharon is right, mites and lice can kill chickens, especially broodies and chicks. If you do the dusting at night, and keep things quiet and calm, your birds will get used to being handled for that process and won't be so skittish next time. Mine don't mind it at all; I just walk over quietly and pick up each bird, dust them on a table outside the pen, look them over for general condition (including the bottoms of their feet, in case they have bumblefoot, etc.), and quietly place them back in the pen.

Cleaning the coop down to bare floor and replacing the bedding a few times a year is also extremely helpful for controlling mites and lice.



Good luck!
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Diatomaceous earth (DE) works because the sharp edges of the fossilized diatoms make microscopic slices through the parasites exoskeletons. Then, because it is a desiccant, it dehydrates the them. Because it is a mechanical treatment rather than a chemical process, they do not build up immunity to DE, and it does not need to be rotated with other treatments. So, it will kill live parasites but not egg sacks so it must be reapplied to kill emerging eggs.
They can eat it with out harm and in fact, it kills internal parasites.
It can be sprinkled in the coops and put in the dust bath, but will become gummy and not work well if it gets wet.
Always wear a mask when applying.
Some have said that it is as dangerous as Sevin. I disagree on one point. Yes, they are both powders that are harmful to breath. But... DE is not a toxic chemical like Sevin. It is harmful to breath white flour but it is not a chemical so therefore while it can be harmful to breath, it is at least less toxic.
Hope this helps.
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