How do I treat chicken lice?

[Hross1213]

I'm sorry you seem to be having so many problems.
Can you post photos of the sick pullet?
What do you feed, including treats?
Oyster shell and grit (crushed granite) - those are provided free choice?

Do you know when your pullet last laid an egg?
If she is listless and has fluids running out of her beak, then yes - there is a crop problem. You need to address that. Withholding food is good, but she does need to have water during the day.
Can you massage or feel the crop and tell us what that's like - hard, soft, squishy, doughy, etc.?
If she has not laid an egg in a few days, it would be a good idea to feel the abdomen for any bloat/swelling.

Not sure what article you found, but this is a good one that quick and easy to read - hopefully it will get you on the right track.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Hross1213]

That is an EXCELLENT article!! Much more useful information than the one I found! I am so grateful.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

The first photo is from yesterday when I found her. She had been free ranging with the rest but when she hopped up on the nest she had her eyes closed and when I picked her up she spit up thin brown stuff. I noticed brownish spots by that nest box and thought it was poo. Now i think it was her vomit. She eats a layer feed with a calcium supplement in it. I give scratch grains daily and other veggie and fruit treats (greens, grapes, apples, bananas) several times a week. The other day I gave them some walnuts that I crushed with my fingers. Could that be it?? . They get oyster shell calcium and their own egg shells for supplement. I moved them into a new coop in late Jan with a sand floor. I’ve checked her abdomen. It doesn’t feel squishy like ascites, however I don’t know when she last laid an egg. She is not squatting. This morning she was more alert and drinking water. Her crop felt full and not hard, but firm. The last two photos are from this morning. Thank you so much for everything!!!

That is an EXCELLENT article!! Much more useful information than the one I found! I am so grateful.

Isn't she just a cutie pie!
Re-check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drink to see if it's empty.

In the meantime, I would follow the article - I usually like to start with giving 1teaspoon of coconut oil and massaging the crop several times a day. See if that help breaks up and moves what's in there. I put the coconut oil in the fridge/freezer to harden it, then break it up into bite (peck) size pieces. My girls love it. So much easier than syringing oil.
Let her have water for the day and see how it goes. If you feel she needs something to eat offer a little of soaked feed or soft cooked egg. No seeds, scratch, veggies, fruit, etc. you only want something that is "easy" to process.

Keep us posted.

 

[Helen_Jayne]

I mix sevin dust into their bedding. I use the spray in the picture below and I love the results! Mite/Lice free chickens in a day! View attachment 1232061

I used this garlic spray today and the mites died instantly, it was surprisingly effective. All the birds are clean except the silkie who had a big mat of eggs and mites on her back end below the vent, (I don't think she can reach there) although nowhere else on her body. I sprayed with the garlic spray then cut off the feathers in the affected area (disgusting) and coated the area of skin infected with mite eggs using vaseline. (Re earlier post: Vaseline is petroleum jelly, a mixture of hydrocarbons but not something that naturally occurs in nature. It's an organic compound because of the hydrocarbons but that's different to what we normally term organic). Then I made up another spray using garlic, cooking oil and washing up liquid and sprayed the shed where they roost. After watching the sudden death I felt encouraged with using garlic. I really don't want to use that sevin stuff but I'm not sure you can get it in the UK anyway. I'll let you know if this brings success.

However I did watch a great video from Pavlova Fowl which she shows a method she learnt from a vet who uses natural medicine. This was eucalyptus citriodora essential oil in coconut oil, you paint it on the area and it kills them.

Can anyone tell me if these mites can be problematic to humans?

 

[Hross1213]

Isn't she just a cutie pie!
Re-check her crop first thing in the morning before she eats/drink to see if it's empty.

In the meantime, I would follow the article - I usually like to start with giving 1teaspoon of coconut oil and massaging the crop several times a day. See if that help breaks up and moves what's in there. I put the coconut oil in the fridge/freezer to harden it, then break it up into bite (peck) size pieces. My girls love it. So much easier than syringing oil.
Let her have water for the day and see how it goes. If you feel she needs something to eat offer a little of soaked feed or soft cooked egg. No seeds, scratch, veggies, fruit, etc. you only want something that is "easy" to process.

Keep us posted.

 

[Hross1213]

Hugs!! Thank you! I am starting with that!! Had dr appointments this morning.

 

[Hross1213]

Her crop definitely feels douhgy and her abdomen (behind her hips/legs) feels swollen/ squishy but not really pronounced. She has not laid an egg today. She and her two sisters were laying like gangbusters. She doesn’t seem to like the solid coconut oil yet. Getting boiled eggs ready. I have Miconazole cream and docusate gelcaps. I’ve massaged her crop a couple of times. She’s drinking and hasn’t vomited that I can see.

 

[cmom]

One thing to remember is that you can treat your birds and coops but it will not kill the eggs so repeating the treatment is necessary. I had a hen recently that looked terrible, neck feathers and feathers on her back missing as well as some missing on her behind. Several months ago I had an infestation in one coop and treated the birds and the coop as well as all of the other coops. The rest of the birds looked fine. My one girl was starting to look really good but lately she started missing feathers again so I bathed her with flea soap and put her in another coop that I had treated. Now she is again looking much better and getting her feathers back in. Some types of pests only come out at night and get on the birds and feed so when you look at them you may not see anything. When I recently checked my girl over I didn't see anything on her but cleaned out the coop, sprayed it thoroughly and put some dust in the nest boxes. Hopefully this time will be the last time. Originally on one of the other birds there were mite eggs. I took all of the mite eggs off of her with a comb then bathed her in the flea soap and treated the coops. I think the wild birds are probably bring the pests in here because some have been trying to build nests in some of the nest boxes in the coops. Every time I find a new nest being built I'm taking it out. I don't want the wild birds trying to build nest in the coops. I guess they are taking the hint because the last few days no more nest building. I didn't spray inside the nest boxes this time but did put some permethrin dust in the shavings in the nest boxes. So far so good. Good luck...

 

[Cryss]

Her crop definitely feels douhgy and her abdomen (behind her hips/legs) feels swollen/ squishy but not really pronounced. She has not laid an egg today. She and her two sisters were laying like gangbusters. She doesn’t seem to like the solid coconut oil yet. Getting boiled eggs ready. I have Miconazole cream and docusate gelcaps. I’ve massaged her crop a couple of times. She’s drinking and hasn’t vomited that I can see.

Been through this. Twice, same bird.
I found an easy way to administer Miconazole cream. Twice a day (12 hours apart) I put the amount recommended on here in a bowl that is about 3-4 inches wide and deep. Mine is an old plastic container that contained premade jello and cream. I put a bit of treat/scratch in with it and mix it very thouroughly. It's really a very small amount, a finger pinch or so. Once all the cream is coating the treat I separate the bird from the flock by locking them in the coop alone. Then I hold the bowl while they eat the treat so they can't tip it over. I hold it at an angle so all the treat is in the bottom edge. As they eat it I scrape it back together into the bottom edge so the get every single drop. They gobble it up.
I hope this helps. Make sure to give every single dose for the reccomended amount of days. You may want to start using a chicken bra. My rooster wears one all the time due to pendulous crop. No more sour crop.

 

[Hross1213]

Been through this. Twice, same bird.
I found an easy way to administer Miconazole cream. Twice a day (12 hours apart) I put the amount recommended on here in a bowl that is about 3-4 inches wide and deep. Mine is an old plastic container that contained premade jello and cream. I put a bit of treat/scratch in with it and mix it very thouroughly. It's really a very small amount, a finger pinch or so. Once all the cream is coating the treat I separate the bird from the flock by locking them in the coop alone. Then I hold the bowl while they eat the treat so they can't tip it over. I hold it at an angle so all the treat is in the bottom edge. As they eat it I scrape it back together into the bottom edge so the get every single drop. They gobble it up.
I hope this helps. Make sure to give every single dose for the reccomended amount of days. You may want to start using a chicken bra. My rooster wears one all the time due to pendulous crop. No more sour crop.