how to get rid of lice??? i saw them on my chickens today

[dawg53]

Use sevin dust to dust your chickens and coop. Repeat dusting chickens and coop in 10 days to kill nits hatched since the initial dusting to stop their lifecycle. Sevin dust costs $4.97 at Lowes.

 

[remadl700]

Quote:
DE is a preventative, not a cure. See the link provided by flockwatcher, above.

Why put them on an antibiotic like Tetracycline when all they have is lice?

Unecessary use of antibiotics simply leads to future resistance when the antibiotic is actually needed.

easy easy........

I have had success with the diatomaceous earth in solving this problem. It just one alternative to take without using a chemical. If you are growing and selling true organic chickens you can't use the other medicines available.

and... sounds like the person is new to raising chickens so I was giving them suggestions on solving other issue’s related to chickens.

 

[Judy]

Perhaps pyrethrins will both meet organic requirements, since it's made from a flower, and actually work to kill lice. It deteriorates in sunlight, so probably would need more and / or more careful application. I do know permethrin / pyrethrin mixes work, but organic people would probably not allow permethrin.

 

[rufus]

We used to put the cold ashes from the wood stove in their dust bath. That seemed to do the trick.

These pests are brought in by wild birds. If you are going to let your chickens free range, you are going to have this problem from time to time.

Rufus