Its official: My GIRLS HAVE LICE!! What do I do???

[WasabiChicki]

I checked them after their molt at the end of winter... last month 2 stopped laying but I thought maybe because they are over 3 years old & those weren't great layers anyway.
But, today there were lice on an egg! Does that mean its really bad?? WHAT DO I DO???? One of the girls has also had a poopy butt all week & I haven't done anything about it since I've been away from home for a bit. Back now & need to get everything ready for the day olds coming in a few days!

HELP PLEASE... I am super itchy all over just typing this! Should I be totally paranoid about the kids collecting eggs now? Do I have to check my whole family for lice?
(They don't actually enter the coop to get the eggs, but there were crawlies on one today!!)

*itch itch* YUCK!!!

 

[dawg53]

I checked them after their molt at the end of winter... last month 2 stopped laying but I thought maybe because they are over 3 years old & those weren't great layers anyway.
But, today there were lice on an egg! Does that mean its really bad?? WHAT DO I DO???? One of the girls has also had a poopy butt all week & I haven't done anything about it since I've been away from home for a bit. Back now & need to get everything ready for the day olds coming in a few days!

HELP PLEASE... I am super itchy all over just typing this! Should I be totally paranoid about the kids collecting eggs now? Do I have to check my whole family for lice?
(They don't actually enter the coop to get the eggs, but there were crawlies on one today!!)

*itch itch* YUCK!!!

Chicken lice wont bother you unless you're a chicken. Dust all your chickens with sevin dust. Repeat dusting them again in 7-10 days to kill nits hatched from eggs. Do the same thing inside their coop, roosts and nests.

 

[WasabiChicki]

Chicken lice wont bother you unless you're a chicken. Dust all your chickens with sevin dust. Repeat dusting them again in 7-10 days to kill nits hatched from eggs. Do the same thing inside their coop, roosts and nests.

You rock, thanks for the help! Now I'm just itchy from the poison oak I'm clearing lol.

 

[WasabiChicki]

Will they stop laying because of lice? Still wondering why I get only one egg out of 4 hens a day.
They are 3 yr old.. Does that sound normal?

 

[Cetawin]

Yes lice will throw them off laying and will kill them eventually if untreated. You have to get rid of them. Bathe the chickens in cat shampoo paying special attention to the vent area, under wings, chest and neck. Then use Ivermectin pour-on wormer (find in the cattle section of your farm store) and repeat treatment in 7 - 10 days. Standard size adult birds 4 - 6 drops on the back at base of neck. Clean out all bedding and dust everything in the coop with poultry dust....a powder also found at Farm Stores.

The advantage to using the Ivermectin is that not only does it kill external parasites, it worms them for intestinal parasites also. Just feed them plain yogurt after the second dosing to restore their good gut bacteria. Also, toss any eggs they may lay between the first worming and 10 days after the second worming.

Also, bear in mind that a 3 year old hen is an older gal and they can slow down on laying at that age....

Good luck with them

 

[dawg53]

Unfortunately, ivermectin has no effect on chicken lice. Chicken lice dont suck blood, they can cause severe skin irritation and feather loss. They will feed on chicken blood if there's an open wound if the opportunity presents itself and that would be the only time ivermectin would be effective against lice. Ivermectin will kill mites in chickens though. Ivermectin isnt that effective as a wormer in chickens due to its overuse in poultry as a miteacide. It wont kill cecal, capillary, tapeworms and large roundworms are starting to show resistance. I quit using it as well as eprinex.
Ivermectin is still effective in killing biting lice in cattle, cattle lice are a different type of lice that do suck blood. They dont affect chickens.

 

[Scooter&Suzie]

To help prevent lice and mites in the future (and to kill them now) try getting some diatomaceous earth. It is a very light powdery dirt (feels more like dust) that is actually some very small sharp shards. It doesn't hurt us or the chickens (it is even ediable - it is health for chickens to eat!) but kills those little mites and lice. Just make sure you don't breathe it in - it is like fiber glass and will damage your lungs if you get it in your lungs.

You can put the diatomaceous earth in a hole in the ground, in an old sled, or where every you can put it for them to dust bathe in. It cost me a little less that $15 for a 20 pound bag - a good deal.

 

[WasabiChicki]

I used a cut plastic barrel (tapered top end down) about 8 in tall, filled w/ ash from the wood stove... hope it works!