How do I treat chicken lice?

[Jemma Rider]

I guess it just depends on the chicken and how much lice

I actually didn't see any mites today. I'm going to be going to the feed store to get some stronger stuff anyway just because my rooster still has a few of those nasty eggs but i think it may have worked. I dusted them all again since i wasn't able to get out today but i didn't see any little monsters upon inspection so I'm hoping that that's been cleared up.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Very good. You just do that every six months.... dust around in the coop every here and there..... A healthy flock overall is the best defense against any parasites. you probably could spot treat the rooster with some of that cage bird mite spray. It is very handy. little aerosol can, you spray it right on his head.... watching out for his eyes. It is made to kill lice on birds.

 

[Jemma Rider]

Very good. You just do that every six months.... dust around in the coop every here and there..... A healthy flock overall is the best defense against any parasites. you probably could spot treat the rooster with some of that cage bird mite spray. It is very handy. little aerosol can, you spray it right on his head.... watching out for his eyes. It is made to kill lice on birds.

Alright, I'm really glad i caught this i didn't find many of them so i think i got it pretty early. I honestly can't believe they got them in the first place i keep their coop in immaculate condition. I'm going to treat my rooster for worms though, since he's been yawning so much. And I've read that you should do that every year anyway.

 

[Folly's place]

Mites and lice come in from the wild birds, and are pretty much unavoidable if your birds free range at all. The wrens come in to eat the chicken food, and tend to hang out near the chickens anyway.
Mary

 

[Jemma Rider]

Mites and lice come in from the wild birds, and are pretty much unavoidable if your birds free range at all. The wrens come in to eat the chicken food, and tend to hang out near the chickens anyway.
Mary

I knew they could get fowl pox from birds but i never really thought of mites and lice. I'm just wondering, can they get them from squirrels too? I don't get many birds around the coop but i have plenty of squirrels.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Very good. You just do that every six months.... dust around in the coop every here and there..... A healthy flock overall is the best defense against any parasites. you probably could spot treat the rooster with some of that cage bird mite spray. It is very handy. little aerosol can, you spray it right on his head.... watching out for his eyes. It is made to kill lice on birds.

I don’t think every 6 months is often enough. Treat your coop and chickens at least once a month.

 

[happyfrenchman]

Wild birds are of course, a vector for all kinds of avian diseases and parasites. They get in the chickens feed, water in some cases, coops and surrounding area. I look at them as part of the natural background and important in that they contribute to your flocks immunity/health. I have my coop closed with hardware cloth so the wild birds cannot just fly in, but they can still get in and do. A healthy flock is your best defense. It is natural for chickens to be exposed to all the local fauna. Squirrels eat feed, gnaw on things, give cover to any local rat population and in some ways attract other predators, but I don't think their parasites would transfer to chickens. You don't want them in your coop for good reasons. Roundworms are transferred through droppings, and are generally always present in the back yard. I would not treat for anything more than every 6 months unless you have some kind of exceptional issue. Remember, all these "treatments" are really mild doses of poisons targeting lesser organisms on or in one large food producing organism (the chicken). I would just keep an eye out as you have, and you will be able to judge how often your flock needs tx. Routine habits that keep you well informed of the condition of your birds, is your best defense. Learn about feathering, eyes, throat, gut, vent.... all the signposts.

 

[Folly's place]

I don't treat my birds or coop on a schedule; I look for issues and treat if something comes up. Every area will have different problems, at different times. What works for me may not be enough in your neighborhood! Still, there's no reason to treat for mites or lice unless your birds have them!!! I've never had birds ill with coccidiosis either but that doesn't mean I won't this year, or that some flocks have it in chicks unless they are on medicated feed every time.
I ran fecals on some birds this fall, and they were negative. No reason to worm unless there's a known parasite load causing illness.
Mary

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I add sevin dust to my bedding every time I clean out the coop, which is about every month or so.

 

[Folly's place]

Permethrin dust will work as well, and is actually an approved product!
Mary