Chicken Bug Treatment
I haven’t noticed lice or mites on the head, and never noticed them damaging feathers.
I couldn’t paste my pictures of mites, lice or their eggs.
1-3 mm long tan colored lice can be seen on the skin around the vent area, scurrying away from light.
White to tan colored lice eggs are most prevalent on the base of feathers around and near the vent.
Lice feed on skin dander and vent poop primarily and result in extreme scratching and preening by the chicken.
Mites are very small and not usually found on chickens during daytime.
Mites feed by sucking blood. Both can kill chickens if left untreated.
Chickens that are scratching and preening for bugs can pull their feathers out.
Missing feathers on the back of the head are usually caused by a mating rooster or a dominant hen pecking at the back of the head, back or tail areas.
My favorite bug treatment is from chrysanthemum flowers:
(Pyrethrin, Resmithrin or any of the chemicals that sound similar).
Resmethrin belongs to a group of insecticides called pyrethroids.
Pyrethroids are man-made chemicals that are similar to pyrethrins, a natural insecticide made from chrysanthemum flowers.
Resmethrin is generally used in and around homes and food-handling facilities, and on pets or livestock to control flying or crawling insects, especially mosquitoes.
Resmethrin is a colorless to yellow-brown liquid that has an odor similar to chrysanthemum flowers.
It is not very dangerous to handle or inhale pyrethrins.
Chrysanthemum flowers can be added to your salad for beautiful color accents.
BUT: I ALWAYS wash my hands and REMOVE my clothes outside or in the enclosed tub or shower areas and place CLOTHING immediately in the washer.
Some people wear hazmat suits when examining and treating chickens
You don’t want chicken bugs crawling on you inside your house!
Pyrethrin doesn’t affect chickens, even if they preen their feathers after treatment.
Spray 2-3 squirts aimed at the base of feathers around the vent, under the wings and along the back.
Then rub it all around those areas.
A ‘household perimeter bug spray’~from pyrethroids
Available at
Walmart for under $5 for a quart spray bottle.
Wild birds that land in the coop to eat or drink usually carry bugs that spread to chickens.
I treat any incoming chickens that have bugs twice, one week apart.
I check chickens every time they hop on my lap or if I pick them up.
If I find bugs in the flock, they get immediate treatment.
Spring and fall I do a thorough check of all birds.
If bugs are found on one bird, all get treated.
It is harmless to chickens and their eggs.
BUT I would rinse off all eggs before refrigeration or use.
Patrick Perry
Salt Lake City
A Worm’s Tale®
