I'm pretty sure my chickens have lice???..ugh..but....

[scalaway]

What is the best way to treat them?I don't see mites at all...just the almost clear little, what I am assuming are lice? I'm only seeing them on a few ( like 4 out of my 36 hens) -- Should I treat everyone preventatively?? I've read a lot about DE too..is that the best route to go?? What works best/quickest/etc... I wonder too, when you are treating the hens (I've read Severin--not sure what I should use??) do you just toss their eggs?? We've never had these before, grosses me out...my coop is clean, but near trees, wonder if the local wildlife birds have "shared"?? I'm going to clean it out again today...I've read orange oil or something like that mixed with a bit of vinegar to spray around?? Help!!-- Any suggestions how to keep this to just my four birds and how to treat the coop and everything else -- would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[scalaway]

One more quick question...If we use the Severin dust (5%) will that get the lice ?? I know it's used for mites and other pests...will our eggs be okay??? Should we pitch the eggs?? Thanks for your help!

 

[ChicKat]

Haven't had these critters myself, so I would be just like you if I discovered them.

If you go to the bottom of my BYC page, there is a link to a video of a man dusting a chicken. It is so cool.

There are specific poultry dusts.....and DE would be an option, and Sevin too--- if you don't mind being non-organic.. (I think I'm right that it isn't organic).

With 4 it shouldn't be too high a hurdle to jump and then get back into normal life with you chickens.

I don't think you would need to discard the eggs....and prior to throwing them I would feed to my chickens. (I fed them one yesterday because I don't think they ate much feed, and I don't want them to get run down.)

Most of all good luck with solving it--- if I get lice, I will be asking you! :O) (I mean if my hens get lice, of course).

 

[scalaway]

Thanks

! I appreciate the video link...will check it out. I just cleaned the coop, but I'm going to do it again today and change the bedding out etc.. The thought of bugs (even though I KNOW they are there even when I don't see them!) totally creeps me out...I'm going to do both I think. I want to get the few with the critters cleared up and I want to make sure nobody else gets the bugs. I'm not seeing the "clumps" and junk at the feather base like I've seen on some pictures here, but I have seen the bugs...which is enough for me to treat! I'm hoping we've gotten it early and won't have a problem -- We've had chickens for 10 years and this is our first round of anything like this so I guess we're doing okay.....bugs just creep me out, especially on my girls!! I'm hoping by using the dust, the medicine won't leech into their eggs....
I think I might try the orange oil on the perches etc... just to make sure we've got things covered.... I was reading about tea tree oil and peppermint oil too?? Maybe it's just the "oil" part that helps kill the bugs??? It would smell good, but would be a bit pricey I think!

 

[welasharon]

Just dust with the seven. Kills bugs promptly (lice too). Dust nests etc. Retreat in 10 days. No need to throw out the eggs.
sharon

 

[scalaway]

Thank you Sharon

-- Heading to the TSC this morning to get what we need...should I dust the boxes and the coop too??

 

[welasharon]

yes. don't inhale the stuff or get it in the chickens nostrils. I used too much the first time and got as much on me as on the chickens! Nasty tasting stuff...

 

[Firefighter Chick]

Quote:
Personally if I used any chemical on my birds i'd pitch the eggs for peace of mind. I would retreat the birds in about 10 days to make sure any new hatches are killed. You can dust their surroundings too. You could buy a pyrethrin/permethrin spray (like a dual purpose animal and stall spray) at a farm store for fairly cheap that you can spray on the animals and their coop/perches. Good luck to you.

 

[rcentner]

I use a garden and poultry dust (that's what the label says) I get it at TSC. You can dust them with it or get a dust box (any box that will keep the dust in it, like a rubbermaid container works good) and fill it with the dust, the chickens will dust themselves in it eliminating the need for you to do it. I refill the dust box as needed during the spring and summer months and it keeps the little bugs under control.
the dust I use has permethrin in it, I don't throw away eggs cause I never really considered it, since I dont give it orally I doubt they get enough to pass it onto the eggs. I don't think permethrins are bad for humans even if it does pass onto the eggs (I have used horse spray containing that chemical on myself when I am at the barn regularly). but that is a matter of personal preference, whether or not to toss the eggs.

 

[scalaway]

Well, we dusted everyone.....even the one's who I didn't physically see the lice on...and again, the ones that I did see the lice one weren't bad, nothing at the base of the feathers or anything..which is good. I think I got it early enough, I guess time will tell. I also took every bit of bedding (we use the "fine pine" from our local feed mill) and cleaned the nesting boxes out. I did use the stuff from TS, but used DE in the boxes and used DE in a little rubbermaid catbox sized bin in the corner for them to dust themselves. Hopefully I got it....probably went over kill, but bad bugs gross me out!!
On another note, while I was dusting everyone, I noticed one of my hamburgs has an abcess looking thing on her little "cheek".....She's eating fine and laying just fine, no lice on her, BUT I am a little worried about her...it looks kind of painful...anybody have any experience with anything like this??? What would you recommend?? I'm going to attach a picture here if I can

. I might add too that she's not raspy or snotty or anything -- no other symptoms other then the "abscess" for lack of a better word......I don't want to medicate if I dont' need to, especially since we just "dusted" them all. Anybody have any ideas what this might be??