How many times do you dust your chickens for lice a year?

[LibbyR]

Just curious as to how often. We are required to do ours before fair and did it today but wondering if it will be needed a second time? They’ve never actually had lice but want to be sure. We use Prozap Insectrin Dust and completely cover them in it. They also have wood ash to dust bathe in.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sometimes never. If I see a bird has problems, usually a broody bantam, I will do it a couple of times every 3 weeks, to break the life cycle. Sometimes I dust roost cracks, and nestboxes too. It all depends on the circumstances and the birds.

 

[aart]

We are required to do ours before fair and did it today but wondering if it will be needed a second time? They’ve never actually had lice

If they don't actually have lice or mites, there's no need to repeat.
But you might want to dust them again after fair cause who knows what they might pick up there, even tho everyone is supposed to dust them beforehand.

Prozap Insectrin Dust and completely cover them in it.

Permethrin is goo to use but, you need to get the dust under the feathers around vent, on belly, under wings and around neck, can be hard to do.

I only dust when I find bugs, I check them over every month or so.

Bugs check notes:

Have you checked them over real well for mites and/or lice?

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

 

[getaclue]

I spray my coops at least twice a year, and more if needed. I dust the chickens only if needed. I will say this. I'm about to put a little dust on their legs, combs, and wattles now, because of all the rain and so many mosquitoes this year. I will be spraying around the outside of the coop, but I want to get some garlic powder, and dust around the coop with it. While garlic does not prevent mosquitoes, they don't like it, so it does repel them some.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Just curious as to how often. We are required to do ours before fair and did it today but wondering if it will be needed a second time? They’ve never actually had lice but want to be sure. We use Prozap Insectrin Dust and completely cover them in it. They also have wood ash to dust bathe in.

Since you seem to be dusting because of the requirements of the fair, contact the people running the chicken show at the fair and ask for further details about that requirement. They may have something about how often, they may want it a certain time before the show. It may just be cover the butt verbiage, as long as you do something they don't really care what or when.

I never dust mine unless mites or lice are present, which means I have never dusted mine. Due to their life cycle, if you do have them it takes at least two treatments to get rid of them. First treatment gets the live ones, second treatment gets the ones that hatched after the first dusting but before they lay eggs. Depending on the type of mites you might need to treat the entire coop.

 

[LibbyR]

Since you seem to be dusting because of the requirements of the fair, contact the people running the chicken show at the fair and ask for further details about that requirement. They may have something about how often, they may want it a certain time before the show. It may just be cover the butt verbiage, as long as you do something they don't really care what or when.

I never dust mine unless mites or lice are present, which means I have never dusted mine. Due to their life cycle, if you do have them it takes at least two treatments to get rid of them. First treatment gets the live ones, second treatment gets the ones that hatched after the first dusting but before they lay eggs. Depending on the type of mites you might need to treat the entire coop.

We have done it only once before for the fair but this year they are gonna be more strict with their parasite checks so we are just wanting to make sure. I would think since these bird have no exposure to the outside of their coop and run they wouldn’t get lice as easily as free range hens. I always cover them heavily in dust particularly the vent area and under the wings.

 

[1cock2hens]

I have never dusted a chicken for lice, no need

 

[aart]

but this year they are gonna be more strict with their parasite checks so we are just wanting to make sure.

I was wondering how they know if folks actually followed their protocol.