Houston - We have a problem...

[krista74]

Hi all. For the past week, I've been thinking my Orpington pullet was looking a bit rough. Her feathers are starting to look really ruffled across her back near where her waist would be, and some feathers are falling out, although I can't see her skin yet.

Until today, I had put it down to our cockerel's rather feverish affections for her! However, when my hubby came home from work and I got him to hold her for me, I saw LICE.

They are on her back near her tail, and I also found a lot around her vent area. There were some grey looking eggs there too, in little clumps about the size of half of my pinky fingernail. Not big clumps like I've seen in videos, but some none-the-less.

I headed straight for the shops and bought some Pestene powder. Tomorrow we will treat all 7 of them, as I assume if one has lice they all do. Is re-treating on a weekly basis enough to kill off the eggs/hatched lice as well?

I understand I have to douse them all with powder. Do I just sprinkle it over the vent, neck and back area? Do I go under the wings?

I guess I also need to know how much powder to put on each bird - how thorough do I have to be? Is every inch of them meant to be covered so they look like snowballs, or is a light sprinkle in the appropriate areas enough? I will do their nest boxes too. That's the easy part!

Any advice in relation to the above would be eagerly accepted.

Oh, and can I (and my cats) catch lice from my birds? I feel itchy thinking about all of this.....

Thank you! Krista

 

[Judy]

It needs to be an all over treatment, but not thick. One method is to make a sort of "powder puff" out of something like a nylon stocking, and pat it on. Another is to put them in a paper grocery bag, crumple it up gently around the neck, and shake gently to spread around. The usual treatment is treat once then repeat in 10 days, because that is when the eggs which won't be killed by the first treatment should have hatched. You also need to change out all bedding and treat the coop at the same time. In the States, I suggest using Sevin (carbaryl) liquid for the coop because it is convenient to spray cracks in the coop and the underside of the roosts.

Here is a universit article that might help you, even though it's for the US: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

No, you can't get infested with chicken lice. They are species specific. A few might jump on you but they will also leave. But I know what you mean about feeling itchy from dealing with them!

 

[krista74]

That is wonderful advice, thank you!

Do you have any ideas on exactly how I should catch and hold down my chickens, lol?

They are not tame birds in the slightest, and flap and squawk and carry on when we try and hold them.

I have NO IDEA how we are going to pin them down long enough to dust them all over effectively. Or at all!

I watched a Youtube video on it - all these chickens getting dusted, quietly lying on their backs while someone lightly held their legs still.

My chickens are like wild little fireballs!

We have only had them a month and a half, and whilst some will eat from my hand if I have a tasty treat, I have so far been unable to pick them up.

Sigh....I sense this is not going to be easy....

Thank you once again for your advice Krista

 

[vehve]

I'm thinking equipping yourself with a headlamp at night while they're roosting is the best bet for catching them.

 

[krista74]

Hmmm.....Is it true that they do get sleepy and calm when on the roost at night? Is this the case for ALL chickens? Or just for the people who already own nice, quiet, tame chickens?

I would hate to go and pick one off the perch in the middle of the night, only to find it turn into Satan at the last minute, flapping and screaming at me

And there I would be. In the dark. Holding a flapping, psychotic chicken. Wishing I was in Tahiti.......

Krista

 

[vehve]

Our's are a bit difficult to catch in daytime, but once it gets dark and they've settled down they're a lot easier to catch.

If someone turns into Satan, you can just have a priest present just in case to do some exorcisming or something. Maybe some garlic cloves and a cross, I dunno. Oh yeah, and holy water!

 

[krista74]

I see.

I don't have a priest handy, but my husband is 50 and balding and kind of looks like one.

I could put him in my dressing gown so he looks the part.

I wonder if that would work.....

 

[vehve]

I see.

I don't have a priest handy, but my husband is 50 and balding and kind of looks like one.

I could put him in my dressing gown so he looks the part.

I wonder if that would work.....

He could get ordained online, surely that would work. Dressing gown sounds like a good idea too, and the baldness can't hurt either.

 

[krista74]

Well, folks, we've done it!

I fed our birds at 8am as per usual, then kept them locked in their coop to lay their eggs in peace.

At 11am, hubby and I armed ourselves with the Pestene Powder, some gloves, and a crate to sit on, and locked ourselves in with our chickens.

The chickens knew there was something up. I think they had a meeting about it during the night.

Anyway, we sized them up (and they, us) and decided to do the rooster first (he is not vicious but IS a big sook, and quite loud and flappy at the best of times).

Hubby caught him and together we managed to get him on hubby's lap, upside down, with his head hidden under hubby's jumper. It's the closest I've ever been to him! (The rooster, not my hubby!)

We checked his feet (both ok), checked for lice (present) and mites (not that we could see) and then covered him all over (except for his head) with Pestene Powder and rubbed it in really well EVERYWHERE. By the end of that we knew everything there was to know about the rooster, lol. We let him outside and repeated the whole process again for the 6 pullets.

Now that it's over, hubby and I are coughing up a storm and are well dusted ourselves! Note to self - next time, use a face mask. There is powder on every conceivable surface of the coop, and the birds look like they were well dipped in talcum powder. I would say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

We will repeat the whole fiasco again next week, then check them all a week later after that. Please let the lice be gone by then

Question: Will our birds feel immediate relief after the shock wears off? ie: How soon til the lice start dying?

Krista

 

[itzazoo]

I know NOTHING, ZIP,….NADA about lice on chickens but OH,,,, man I have had a fantastic time laughing so hard and tears coming down my face>>>

Side note I now know what to expect if it comes to my chickens and lice! so THANKS