Help! Chicken Lice??

[chicknbuns]

One of my BO sleeps in a nesting box instead of the roost like the others. I have noticed that she seems to have poo stuck to her feathers and then I noticed that she doesn't have feathers underneath her wings and along her backside. When i finally got to pick her up my DH and I did see some light colored bugs in the area and he was picking the poo off. After I got to looking here at other posts now I'm thinking he may have been picking off clumps of eggs!!

It that possible? What is the best way to treat her and the others so they don't get it? I'm glad I discovered it now before we introduce the new chicks soon. We are in the process of finishing up a new much bigger coop and that should help with the enviroment but we will clean the other one of course too. She sleeps in the nest box because i made my first coop too small and there isn't enough room for them all to roost so she has always just slept there. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks

 

[welasharon]

The two easiest options are:
1-dust bird and living spaces with seven dust treating again in 10 days
or
2-use pour on eprinex ivomec and dust the living spaces some say once is enough

I did the seven dust and then in 10 days the ivomec as I didn't have any at first.
sharon

 

[BrattishTaz]

Another product I just discovered and tested is Manna Pro Poultry Protector. I got it from my local feed store and it was easy to apply and worked perfectly. It is non toxic and even smells good. I did dust the coop and run with DE as well.

 

[Grayling]

We had nasty cases of lice last summer. clusters of eggs on the muffs and beards of two Americaunas we had just brought home. (We were ninnies not noticing before we came home.) We are smarter now though We dipped our girls in a dilute solution of permethrin. Some say that isn't good but it worked and all our girls are lice free, healthy and happy. It took quite a while for the eggs to shed off the feathers. We cleaned and dusted the coop also. It is very important that your chickens can dust themselves, it's their way of protecting themselves against lice and mites.

 

[chicknbuns]

Thanks for your help. I doust her in DE when I found the critters and will clean the whole coop tomorrow. The other 3 chickens seem fine and don't show any signs of the lice. I haven't picked them up but no outward signs like her. Where can I find the stuff your pour on her? Feed Stores? I was thinking of dusting her and them picking off the clumps of eggs as much as I can

and disposing of those. Do you think that would help any? I can't believe she has had this for awhile and I never knew what it was! I feel like a bad chicken mom

Thanks again for your help, I can always count on BYC peeps!

 

[welasharon]

Unrefined coconut oil gets the egg cases off. They were driving me nuts! Liquify it in warm water and paint it on.
sharon

I prefer the seven it always works...as for DE some say it works and some say it doesn't if they are already infested. I got the ivomec pour on online from Jeffers but I think I saw it in TSC. Make sure it is eprinex ivomec not ivermectin.

 

[Grayling]

Those eggs are stuck tight, I couldn't pick them off but it's nice to know coconut oil will work. We actually got the permethrin at a farm supply and made baths of warm water with the solution added. I'm sorry I can't remember what the ratio is but I did get the info somewhere on the web. We just bathed the chickens up their chins, then carefully sponged their heads and muffs. Chickens relax in warm water. It was a very hot day in August so they were left to dry in the sun. (They looked so pretty all clean when they dried off Good luck!

 

[GallopingGoat]

Does anyone know if chicken lice can be transmitted to dogs, cats or kids? My chickens are free-range and mingle with all. I'm also going to follow the advice in the above posts (just realized my chickens have lice) - but as I've just combatted human lice on my kids and fleas in the guest bed, I'm just wondering if I have to worry about the rest of the house, too. What a year for bugs this is. Sigh.

 

[Lyssa]

"GallopingGoat
Today 9:23 am
Does anyone know if chicken lice can be transmitted to dogs, cats or kids? My chickens are free-range and mingle with all. I'm also going to follow the advice in the above posts (just realized my chickens have lice)"

I've just dealt with this myself, the bird lice that is.. The veterinarian and many people on this site told me that bird lice are species specific. The birds can give and get them from other birds, but your kids, dogs, cats and you are all safe.

As far as the human lice, Real Mayonnaise as a hair treatment works great. Wash the hair with shampoo, them use the mayo as a conditioner, put a plastic bag over the hair and let set for 10 minutes, then rinse out, you can use vinegar in the rinse water. Do this ever seven days, to kill any new lice. But it works great and is non toxic to kids. Use DE around your house and beds to kill any other lice.

Good luck