it's raining lice

[urbanfarmer101]

I guess I am just blessed! I found lice on my girls 5 weeks ago. I cleaned the coop, sprayed all the wood and cracks with liquid sevin at day 1, 7 and 14. I also dusted them and the nesting boxes and coop with sevin on those days. Tonight when I checked, they STILL have eggs on their feathers.

I do not have access to DE. Any advice? I have 40 birds...do I really need to give them all a bath?

 

[MotherJean]

The treatments can't remove the lice egg clusters (nits) from the feathers. If you're not seeing any live bugs, then you've probably gotten a handle on the problem. Unfortunately, those egg clusters are there until those feathers are replaced at molting time. I know...bummer

ETA: Also, in case you aren't aware of it - poultry lice don't seek out human hosts, so you needn't worry about the kids or you handling them. Even though I know that, it still makes me itch. How about you?

 

[leenie]

I used an eye dropper filled with unrefined virgin coconut oil added with a drop or two of tea tree oil and covered with oil the egg clusters/featherbase. The vco has something in it that quickly breaks down the egg shell as well as the shells of the adult lice.

Tea tree oil is a wonderful bug repellent.

Good luck. We just had this issue 2 months ago.

You could also use a spray bottle instead of an eye dropper. With 40 chickens I'd use the spray bottle, it's much faster.

 

[kathyinmo]

Very interesting. I have never heard of using unrefined virgin coconut oil. I am gonna write that down for future reference!

 

[urbanfarmer101]

I itch and scratch everytime I think about it. It is a wonder that I have any hair left on my head.

I am going to try the coconut oil (which I have) and the tea tree. I might put a few drops of lavender in it, just to soothe the red fannies of my flock. Only my bigger girls (buff orps, jersey giant) have eggs. The rest of them look pretty clean. I will give this a try for a few weeks, and post the resutls.

If this doesn't work, I am going for the big guns!!! (chemically speaking of course)

 

[Brindlebtch]

Ivermectin

 

[leenie]

My eggs were toast the next morning. Lice eggs that is.
Hope you see the same result.

 

[urbanfarmer101]

Quote:
I'm a city kid, I'm a city kid and a tree hugger to boot. Terrified to use this, but I will if I absolutely have to. My "farm store" terrifies me! It is a smelly, disorganized mess.

 

[damselfish]

Find a different farm store if you can, they're not all like that. If it's your only option, spend a little time there and try to achieve Zen-like oneness with your farm store. I know I was very scared and nervous the first time I went into one. All that weird stuff. All those people who looked like real farmers. All those large implements. That big loading dock. Yikes. Former city girl here, can you tell?

Re: lice, wanted to say thanks for the coconut oil tip to leenie. Leenie, is that the basic coconut oil you can buy at Walmart in the food aisle with the other oils, or is it more of a health-food store thing?

 

[urbanfarmer101]

I buy coconut oil for all my baking and frying, so had it on hand. I buy mine in a glass jar in the healthfood section at the local grocery store. It is pricey, but yummy. It is solid at room temp and liquid at about 78 degrees.
I melted enough to get 1 cup liquid, then added 2 tbl tea tree oil and 1/2 tsp peppermint oil. I put it in a sprayer and doused them all goood. I will let you know how it worked.
Hoping for a lice free week.