Is it inevitable?

[culdesacfarmer]

Is it inevitable for chickens to have at least a small amount of lice? I found one scurrying away today on one of my hens neck, so I’m freaking. It’s the first one I’ve seen since getting chickens back in March. Plan to clean and disinfect the coop (again) this weekend, but was just wondering if I was fighting a forever uphill battle. Has anyone gotten rid of the problem altogether?? Any suggestions welcomed. Sorry if this question/answer has worn out its welcome. I’m just a novice, that loves her backyard chickens!!

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Chickens should be lice free. I am new to chickens, so I have not experienced this before. However, here is a link that might help!

How To Treat Lice and Mites On My Chickens

Best wishes!

-Chatty

 

[Chickassan]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but yes unless you raise chickens in a bubble eventually you're going to have lice or mites and probably worms. You shouldn't let them keep any of them.

 

[culdesacfarmer]

Thank you both for your quick response!

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Thank you both for your quick response!

You are welcome! Best wishes!

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you figured out how your chickens got them? Permethrin 10% spray or garden dust used once and again in 10 days to get both the lice and later, the lice eggs that hatch. Then check once every 10 days to see if they need another treatment. You will also need to empty bedding from the coop and nests, and spray both plus the roosts. Lice are easily brought in by adding only one new bird to the flock, but also by wild birds. I hope that helps.

 

[sourland]

Constant observation is a necessity. Everything, including parasites, likes to eat chicken.

 

[Engine823]

Yeah I was going to say that dusting them down with seven dust will clear that up

 

[culdesacfarmer]

Have you figured out how your chickens got them? Permethrin 10% spray or garden dust used once and again in 10 days to get both the lice and later, the lice eggs that hatch. Then check once every 10 days to see if they need another treatment. You will also need to empty bedding from the coop and nests, and spray both plus the roosts. Lice are easily brought in by adding only one new bird to the flock, but also by wild birds. I hope that helps.

Thank you. I added new chicks back in aug that I raised since hatch in June. Maybe that’s how? Those chicks were hatched by a broody so it’s possible she was the carrier.

 

[sourland]

It may have been a bird that visited your coop looking for feed and inadvertently dropped a parasite.