How to treat poultry lice in a flock of 200 chickens plus turkeys?

[Farmerboy16]

I am at my wits end, for I have been losing chickens due to heavy infestion of Poultry lice.

What is the best way to treat a flock of over 200 chickens, plus 7 bourbon red turkeys. I have used DE, but its use is as a preventive, not for heavy infestion. I would dust or bath them, but dusting, bathing over 200 chickens?!? They are free range. Is there is something that I can put in their food or water? I sell my eggs as chemical free, so I would like to find a treatment that is chemical free, very effective, and not expensive. Thanks for any input!!

 

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
Farmerboy16,
I just read your post and was wondering what treatments you decided on and how did they work? I have discovered lice on my 200 plus flock and did dust all of them last week with DE. Just checked them two days ago and found still a few lice which will quickly become many again. I suppose I should dust yet again.....

I need help and am so worried I am going to loose my flock. Only getting a dozen eggs or so now. Losing profits and my mind

Please advise me if you can!

First of all don't believe the hype about DE! it is WORTHLESS when it comes to treating for lice! it is used more as a preventative not a treatment. It is also handy to dry out the poo in the litter but thats about as far as it goes. If you want to get rid of the lice use ivermectin pour on in combo with adams flea and tick spray for dogs WITH precor in it for spraying roosts/walls/ nests ect. All old bedding needs to be taken out and dumped away from the birds or thrown away. you then need to delouse the coop and the birds, add new bedding and mix DE in with it. This method has worked well for me for a long time now. Every 3 months I retreat the flock and never have problems with the mites/lice anymore.

 

[shannybell]

Thanks! I hope they are happy! My sweet hubby built me that pulley system you see there because the roost is quite heavy. I wanted a big roost to accommodate as many as could be comfortable there at night because they have a large yard to play in during the day. That's also why I chose the sand floor for easy cleaning. I knew I could scoop poop every day without having to let it sit and wait for it to compost as with other methods. With the pulley, I just raise it up to the ceiling and scoop scoop scoop. Takes about 5 minutes if I'm in a hurry.
Now if I can just teach them not to poop on the wall........

 

[miss_thenorth]

GEt a bottle of ivermec .08% sheep drench. When they roost at night, get someone to help you and put three or four drops on thebase of their necks. When you dose them, mark them somehow, wo you know which ones have been dosed already. Make the marking semipermanent, and visible, b/c your probably not going to get them all done the same night-- as they will get all flighty from bieng disrupted. (trust me, I know from having onloy done 20). You should only have to do this once, but check the hens againin about a months time, to see how they are doing. Also, change our their litter, and next box bedding to fresh stuff. You can put your DE in their dusting areas and nest boxes. And that should take care of it. Good luck and have fun!!

 

[Cass]

I'm sure someone is going to say this is "toxic", but you could mark the beaks of the ones you have done with a sharpie marker. Blue, siliver? Something the chickens won't peck at. It will wear off as they stick their beaks in the sand, soil and food, but should last a few days so you can get the whole flock done.

 

[geebs]

I vote for the pour on and drops at base of neck... make sure to get it on the SKIN.... You will need a helper for sure... A dog kennel temporarily set up to put the treated ones... and yep.. DE and SEVEN in the litterbox... It will not be fun but it is very doable... I used to have to do 50... It will be a long night but at the end of it will be treatment for about 6 months... Oh and buy the name brand... it last longer... You will likely have enough to treat for a couple years... So worth it...

 

[Farmerboy16]

Quote:
This sounds easy, and fast to do, however I will need a ladder, for most of my hens like to roost in the rafters 10 ft off the floor. lol Do I only need to put the ivermec .08% sheep drench on their necks? Do I need a syringe( without the needle)? Will I have to toss the eggs away? Will the eggs be okay for incubating? Thanks!

 

[miss_thenorth]

Yes I use a syringe without the needle to apply to the skin. If yo sell the eggs, I would definitely NOT sell during this period(two weeks) but we have been known to eat the eggs after treatment, just our family. I can't see why you couldn't incubate them, that would be alot of eggs.We have also been known to feed the eggs to or dogs. I'm assuming you sell the eggs, so I realize that is a big dip in your profit margins, but it is for the health of your animals.
GEt out your ladder and be safe!!

 

[Farmerboy16]

Quote:
Where can I find ivermec .08% sheep drench? Two weeks is a long time,

but it will be worth it if it works!!!! When I find it, I will test it on my breeding flock, and turkeys, before applying on the laying flock, to see if it works. If it works, then I will save up the eggs first, for like a week before apply it to the laying flock. I will give an update how it went. Thanks so much!!

 

[tstoikes]

The 3-4 drops are for the chickens or the turkeys? And if you have chicks or poults would you dose them with the ivermec as well? If so what dose would you suggest? I have discovered a lice problem a,ong my turkets and since they free range with the chickens I am guessing they have lice as well
Thanks