Ick! Bugs on my birds!

[mychookschick]

More questions that I need answers to, as I am going to try to get some of the dust today:

1) Is it safe for the tiny chicks in the coop (with their mamas)? Some of them are a week or less old.
2) Can we eat the eggs after we use the Sevin PESTICIDE dust? (this is a MUST know)
3) I have horses as well, is it contagious to them (or us), and do I need to treat them in some way?

Thank you very much! I will probably be leaving around 4 this afternoon, and have to know the answers to the above questions... I don't want to waste money.

 

[terryg]

Chickens get lice. It's a fact of hen keeping. But when the load is so high that you see them crawling around, and the feathers near the vent look like Q-tips, then there is a problem. First of all, rest assured that chicken lice are only interested in chickens. They will not live on people. Secondly, they are soft-bodied insects that are not blood sucking. They eat dead skin and feather dander. They ARE a sign that either your chicken is too sick to take care of herself, or the housing has to be adjusted and dust baths provided. I have more here, with good photos of lice so you can confirm what you have:
http://hencam.com/faq/chicken-lice/

 

[real_redhead]

I use an old t-shirt, that I have cut up, I stick in in the bag of Sevin dust and then powder my girls with it. Depending on how old you are it reminds me of the big powder puffs that my grandma used (anyone remember those!). I am not sure about eating the eggs after using SEVIN dust. Make sure to dust the coop and nesting boxes as well and repeat in 7-10 days. my girls had lice once and the sevin worked. Good luck!

 

[BeulahBreezes]

Thank you 'terryg'.......I didn't know all this about chicken lice! I am going outside today and DE the girls dusting spots! I do use DE 'everywhere else' though........great info!!! ~Beulah

 

[mychookschick]

Thank you for the answers! Does anybody know if it will harm the babies?

 

[Folly's place]

Bitter experience here____ WEAR A GOOD DUST MASK!!!___ Check in the paint department at the hardware store for N95 approved masks. I get 3M masks in boxes or 10 for $20 at Lowes. This spring i duste 30 birds for mites wearing a useless mask, and had a major asthma flairup. Three months later it's better; really NOT a good experience! "Poultry dust" is a permethrin or pyrethrin product, also works fine, and is approved for use. I also spred powder in the coop after cleaning out the litter, the spread new shavings. Rotten bugs, gotta kill them! Mary