Insecticides

[chicknmania]

What can we use to keep the lice population under control in our sick hen's pen? We have de-loused HER with Ivermectin, but I'm reluctant to use commercial pesticide to spray her living quarters with, I'm afraid it might be too much insecticide for her. Or would it? The Ivermectin won't work if she keeps getting re-infested from her pen. Is there something organic we can use that might help?

 

[SilkieNation]

What can we use to keep the lice population under control in our sick hen's pen? We have de-loused HER with Ivermectin, but I'm reluctant to use commercial pesticide to spray her living quarters with, I'm afraid it might be too much insecticide for her. Or would it? The Ivermectin won't work if she keeps getting re-infested from her pen. Is there something organic we can use that might help?

I can't say at what point there is insecticide overload, but you'll absolutely never get rid of the lice if you don't TOTALLY clean the coop and everything in it and then use insecticide. You need to do it every ten days for several times. You can get rid of the lice, but you have to clean the coop. I had them and dusted my birds with Sevin and then super cleaned the coop every week for at least a month. I lightly dusted the surfaces with Sevin after cleaning, didn't do crazy with it, just put a very light coating. You have to re-dust the birds at ten days at least once (or use the Ivermectin). You don't want to keep the lice population under control - you have to eradicate it. There's really no choice, IMO.

 

[chicknmania]

Ok. I have Insectrin, which, IMO, is safer than Sevin dust. I will clean her pen and maybe use a little of that. Thanks.

 

[SilkieNation]

You've got to remove all of those little buggers and the eggs/nits, and kill what you missed. The nits hatch in something like ten days; that's why you you have to repeat and repeat and get all the nooks and crannys. Good luck!

 

[chicknmania]

WEll, basically I just want to eliminate the problem of lice, so that I can rule it out (or not) as the cause of her illness. That's my project today, is to try to eliminate the little jerks.

thanks!

 

[SilkieNation]

I don't know what your hen's symptoms are, but if she's had lice for a while, she may be anemic.

 

[chicknmania]

Yes, I realize that. She's very imbalanced. At first that was the only symptom However, now she is beginning to lose her appetite, which makes me think she might have Marek's.
We've had a few other cases lately, although none in a bird as old as her. I bought Poultry Protector for her for the lice, and I''ve started her on Hypoericum for the potential Marek's. And
she's on vitamins. That is about all I know to do, besides try to make sure she keeps eating and drinking.

 

[SilkieNation]

My birds stopped eating much and my rooster lost a huge amount of weight before I caught it. I think (I hope) it's worms, although their poop looks great. I wormed them all this morning. I used valbazen.

 

[chicknmania]

WEll it might be mites.....I don't think it's worms, though I haven't had a fecal done on her. Her droppings were normal too until today. Now she has diarhea.
She hates being messed with which just makes it so much harder.

 

[SilkieNation]

I think mites might require a similar approach. My vet said they can have worms and still have normal poop - that the eggs are then what's in the poop. Something is definitely wrong with my birds because they are not eating well at all and I hope that's it. I actually had bloodwork and a fecal done on the rooster...nine years old and serious pet material. I should hear tomorrow. You may want to worm just in case. Also coccidia - poop will have a very distinctive look - I think yellowy, but never dealt with it myself. Mites can cause anemia too. It depends on what kind she may have. Just google and info comes up - I don't remember.