Help! Can chickens die from poultry lice!!!!!

[Weeg]

I have been visiting my grandparents recently. They have ten chickens and last time I was there, I noticed one was super low energy, and was missing tons of features by her legs. Upon inspection, she had millions of poultry lice covering her body. I ordered my grand parents some Davis pure planet poultry spray, and informed then in how to get rid of the RATS, IFESTING, there coop! There are less rats, since I have been back in 3 months, but the lice are terrible! There designated driver/helper only sprayed them Pune while I was gone, and I d as m seriously worried they are gonna kill the chickens! I sprayed the today, and put some dust bath powder with biodenacouse earth in it. But I need to do something! I have attached pics for reference but I need to know if there’s anything else I can do for the chickens. Thanks so much!

 

[Weeg]

 

[Weeg]

They are plucking out so many feathers because if the itch! The ones with the bare backs are from the lice!

 

[Caoilinnkaylin]

I have been visiting my grandparents recently. They have ten chickens and last time I was there, I noticed one was super low energy, and was missing tons of features by her legs. Upon inspection, she had millions of poultry lice covering her body. I ordered my grand parents some Davis pure planet poultry spray, and informed then in how to get rid of the RATS, IFESTING, there coop! There are less rats, since I have been back in 3 months, but the lice are terrible! There designated driver/helper only sprayed them Pune while I was gone, and I d as m seriously worried they are gonna kill the chickens! I sprayed the today, and put some dust bath powder with biodenacouse earth in it. But I need to do something! I have attached pics for reference but I need to know if there’s anything else I can do for the chickens. Thanks so much!

Hi. I have had chickens all my life I show and run our farm. Feather lice in chickens if very very common almost all chickens have it I got freaked out when I found them on one of my favorite roosters! They can get very bad and yes they kill the chicken if the case is severe. They sell poultry sprays at tractor supply for it. I find egg sacks next to the vent(vent lice pretty much the same thing). I pull them off and also I take out some lice if there in big blobs and kill them. I found this to be the best way for me at this point. It does take energy down and it sounds like your chickens have a bad case of it

 

[Caoilinnkaylin]

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Your chickens look like they have been picking on each other. That happens often with some people. It could also be a molt the rooster could also be going to ruff with her.

 

[Weeg]

Yes, the feathers are also likely from a molt. I just wanted to make sure that there is nothing else I should be doing for such a sever case. I will make sure that they get sprayed more often. I have felt with lice before but never THIS bad. Thanks for the response! Avery

 

[centrarchid]

I see what appear to be lice on comb of rooster with close-up of head, and enough for me to be concerned.

From what I can see of coop in images makes mites / louse management difficult. Birds confined tight in a very protected space is ideal for sustained external parasites.

My treatment regime would be one that treats the coop as well and might involve removing chickens during treatment. Also, when treating you will need to do so more than once to get the less vulnerable life-stage after hatching, but before they can reproduce themselves.


Most of my chickens have little trouble with mites as they are housed in outdoor pens that provide little cover for the pest to use when not on the chickens. The chickens in the barn are more of a problem. Those chickens roost on wooden dowels supported by metal walls of steel dog pens. Only the dowels provide the mites with refuge and not very good as they are smooth. The metal walls do not provide habitat for the mites.

There are several products that are effective against red mites and all require repeated used to keep mites under control as you are not likely to eradicate them. If I were in your situation, then short term efforts would involve treating birds and coop to knock mite levels down while for long term make a coop less hospitable for the mites that might involve a higher roost that is supported by a non-wooden surface that is easy to clean. The higher roost makes for more distance from roosting chickens and areas you cannot easy treat.

Others here (@Wyorp Rock and @casportpony) will likely be more on top of the short term treatment regimens.

 

[Dancingwnature]

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Thank you for posting your photos! I'm so sorry your chickens aren't well! I hope they get better soon!!
So, the dark little things on their faces, combs & wattles are lice? My hen is miserable from itching, too, but I don't know from what. Were you able to see the lice during the day?

 

[Weeg]

Yes, if I pull back there features then U can see millions of them and plenty of egg sacks. I am going to make sure they keep getting sprayed and hope for the best. The hardest part is it’s my grandparents chickens so I am not there to regulate his they get treated. It’s gonna be though, any other treatment ideas are appreciated And yes, on the chickens faces and combs are lice.

 

[LaFleche]

What I can see on this chickens head are red poultry mites which will suck out the chickens blood until they are left dead.