Help- exactly how much ivermectin do I use?

[StarLover21]

Yesterday I discovered my birds were covered in bird lice! I got the ivermectin today- the pour on kind. Can anybody tell me ASAP how much I should use? They're all LF- one Wyandotte, one RSL, one BSL, one white leghorn, one EE, and one very runty 30 week old Maran.

Thank you!

 

[NoseyChickens]

1-2 drops (I use a medicine dropper) on the skin under each wing, above the vent and on the head if it's a crested breed. You also need to treat the coop. Change the shavings out and spread Sevin dust ( or Poultry dust) in the coop in the new shavings.

 

[dawg53]

Code:
Yesterday I discovered my birds were covered in bird lice! I got the ivermectin today- the pour on kind. Can anybody tell me ASAP how much I should use? They're all LF- one Wyandotte, one RSL, one BSL, one white leghorn, one EE, and one very runty 30 week old Maran.
Thank you!

Ivermectin pour on is a wormer. It's secondary purpose for use in chickens (off label) is a miteacide. Ivermectin pour on will kill biting lice in cattle because cattle lice suck blood (Check the label.). Chicken lice are different species and do not suck blood. Ivermectin will kill mites on chickens, mites suck blood from chickens. I recommend dusting your birds with sevin dust to kill the lice. Redust them again in 7-10 days to kill nits hatched from eggs effectively ending their lifecycle. Do the same thing inside the coop, dust nests and roosts as well, repeat dusting again in 7-10 days.

 

[StarLover21]

So will ivermectin not work for bird lice?

We gave them all about four drops today. I really hope it works- we really don't want to use Sevin dust, although we have put DE in their bedding and food.

 

[NoseyChickens]

So will ivermectin not work for bird lice?

We gave them all about four drops today. I really hope it works- we really don't want to use Sevin dust, although we have put DE in their bedding and food.

It works, so does frontline for dogs and permethrin (pour on for cattle), and ultra shield (srpay for horses)

 

[California_chickie]

Quote: I agree. It absolutely works. Ivermectin, permethrin, and frontline all contain the appropriate chemicals to terminate lice (& fleas) by eliminating their ability to reproduce and/or decreasing the current infestation. I brought an injured chick into an avian vet a couple months ago, and received quite an education on how to eliminate mites in poultry. The vet told me to use ivermectin, but be aware of user error. Do your math! A tiny bantam is not going to respond the same way as LF. Really weigh your birds, and double check your math when it comes to dosage. The vet looked me right in the eye & warned me that she'd seen "mistakes" with folks in the past who have applied too much. That's strictly user error if you're using something that is off label. Those products definitely work!
I am by no means an expert, but I have use DE in my coops as a preventative with great results. I have also used Sevin when I brought in a new coop & was worried about a potential mite infestation. Easy.
The only issue is the percentage that you use during your application, and due diligence after the fact. Keep up with the treatment, on the birds and in the coop. It's a pain-- but once you go through the process you realize how much an ounce of prevention is worth...