HELP! Do my chickens have lice?

[bizzeeb60]

My chickens have seriously had a decrease in egg production the last couple of weeks and I noticed yesterday that the feathers on their heads are almost gone and they have what appears to be little "beads" all around their eyes an on there faces (see pictures). Are these CHICKEN LICE?

How do I treat this, I usually use the powder on them every month, sprinkling it on them, the nesting boxes and around the floor. Also can people get them? I would really appreciate the help with this, my poor girls look so pitiful

 

[Dbaas]

OH my! I have no idea i tried looking at my chicken book for pictures. It looks like a parasite of some sort. good luck tho! Someone on here has to know what this is!!!

 

[georgia2]

I'm a novice at keeping chickens but I would FOR SURE powder those girls with DE immediately!
I would get a large makeup brush, hold their eyes closed, and dip the brush in DE then dust their face and head with it, THEN I would put it more abundantly on the skin, feathers and feet. I would clean out the coop and put DE in the litter on the walls and everywhere else I could get it. If you don't have time to clean the coop, put it in their anyway! THat should slow those suckers down. Then I would aggressively seek the knowledge from a reliable chicken guru!

If you don't know about DE, you can get it at feed stores. I personally use food grade DE but I have to mail order mine. My local feed store carries the other type and it says on the bag that it is safely used in, on and around chickens to kill bugs of any kind. It isn't poison but a natural element from the earth that is ground up into a powder. BUgs cannot live with it because it scratches their exoskeleton and causes them to dehydrate and die. It doesn't happen immediately, will take several days, BUT I bet they let loose of the clutches on their skin and face. After I put it on, I would then go back in just a little while and get a rag and physically knock them off. Good luck! ick!!!

 

[Freebie]

http://www.featurepics.com/online/Dominick-Chicken-Infected-Lice-Picture435772.aspx

I found this. I think you may be right

 

[LindsayB]

those are sticktight fleas. Look up some info on how to treat them. I don't think any powder or dust kills them. that looks very uncomfortable!!

 

[sgtmom52]

Control of Sticktight fleas from University of Florida http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg236

Sticktight fleas can be removed with tweezers by grasping and pulling firmly. An antibiotic ointment should be applied to the area to prevent infection. If fleas are too numerous to remove individually, a flea product registered for on-animal use should be applied according to label instructions. Care should be taken not to get any product into the animal's eyes. See ENY-205 Fleas, for additional information on fleas in general. After treatment, dead fleas may remain attached to the host. To avoid re-infestation, treat the premises to eliminate flea larval development. There are several insecticides registered for treatment of outdoor areas for fleas. Burning of infested organic material, such as animal bedding and poultry litter, has been recommended. Wire cages at least 3 ft. above the ground should be used to minimize chances of sticktight flea infestation.​

 

[Chick CJ]

I was reading on another website about someone with sticktight fleas that started rubbing olive oil all over her chicken with sticktight fleas twice a day and they were gone in two weeks.

http://www.dukecityfix.com/profile/Jodi

This is the web page I read it on. It is a website for people living in the Albuquerque area and the woman posting is a chicken owner. She did not want to use chemicals of any kind.

Maybe it's worth a try.
CJ

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Well that`s interresting. Maybe it will work. Whatever you do, get some Adams Flea and Tick Dip and mix per instructions. Use a 5 gal. bucket and dip your birds up to their head. Use the olive oil and see if that works on the head. Don`t forget to spray the coop, nests, and roost. Adams is the absolute best for lice/mites also......Pop

 

[Jenski]

Look like red poultry mites to me. I would very quickly use Sevin Dust (Carbaryl) or Prozap Poultry Dust (Permethrin), carefully fluffing it into their feathers around their bums, under wings, and as close to the head as you can get.

Re-dust in 7 days to get any hatched eggs.


It is very important to ROTATE anti-mite/lice products so they do not build up an immunity. Do not use the same family of product for more than a few months at a time.



If these are indeed red mites, they can kill your hens. Time is of the essence, no matter what they are. Good luck, and please keep us posted!

 

[HorseFeathers]

Oh YIKES! Use some DE ASAP.