How do chicken lice spread?

[shushanhen]

I have three older hens, two of which have lice, which I am currently dealing with. However I have 14 clean 5 week old chicks in the house waiting to finally go outside. I was hoping to put them in the same coop (with a fence between them). I have cleaned the coop and dusted it down with DE. How do chicken lice spread?

I found a lot on identifying and eliminating lice and mites online but not a lot on lice transmission.

 

[jbravo54]

Good question. I am going through a similar situation. I too will be waiting for responses.

 

[Judy]

DE will help cut down numbers but will not eliminate them. First step is to clean out the coop using something that will kill them. This must be repeated in 10 days to kill the eggs that will have hatched. Either Sevin 5% garden dust or a permethrin/pyrethrin dust or spray will work. They hide and/or lay eggs in cracks in the coop, in litter, on the underside of roosts, etc. They can be brought in by wild birds. They can hide in some litters better than others, such as hay. They can easily pass from one chicken to another. A severe infestation can actually kill a chicken, and I would think is more dangerous for young chicks than adults. Things like DE and wood ash can help control numbers but I don't believe will give a good kill. Some people use flea and tick medicine for dogs; evidently it works, but I don't know how safe all of them are. Adams' flea and tick spray is a permethrin is fine, though. I used to have a link posted by someone whose chicken died after treating an infestation with DE only.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html