Lice! Help!

[kimthom66]

I found garden & poultry dust with permethrin so I cleaned everything out of two coops (1 main coop and 1 smaller grow out) dusted the interior especially the roosting bars and nesting boxes put down new bedding (I use Koop Clean) the coop was then shut up and I gathered the hens into the run and one by one caught them and dusted them! Did it over a pan of wood ash and after I dusted I added a little ash. I actually didn't see much evidence of lice just on the on hen. I will check her tomorrow and use the VCO on her if I need to, ran out of time and we had a pop up thunderstorm so I had to act fast! Hoping this works! I have more ash that I will sift through tomorrow and add to the run & dusting areas!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I found garden & poultry dust with permethrin so I cleaned everything out of two coops (1 main coop and 1 smaller grow out) dusted the interior especially the roosting bars and nesting boxes put down new bedding (I use Koop Clean) the coop was then shut up and I gathered the hens into the run and one by one caught them and dusted them! Did it over a pan of wood ash and after I dusted I added a little ash. I actually didn't see much evidence of lice just on the on hen. I will check her tomorrow and use the VCO on her if I need to, ran out of time and we had a pop up thunderstorm so I had to act fast! Hoping this works! I have more ash that I will sift through tomorrow and add to the run & dusting areas!

Sounds good. Remember to repeat dusting at least the infected hen in 10 days.

I have gotten by with treating the one infected twice but leaving the others to dust themselves with it in the dusting area (after a good dusting)...you just need to keep the dusting area stocked with poultry dust.

Good luck!
LofMc

 

[kimthom66]

Do I need to haul out the coops again? Ugh that was a job!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Do I need to haul out the coops again? Ugh that was a job!

Just do it the next time you clean. ETA: you should add some more poultry dust in 10 days.

I haul everything out at least once a month and clean and add new bedding and poultry dust and spraying with Orange Guard. I've made my coops easy to clean so that I can do that. That really helps keep bugs down.

LofMc

 

[pdirt]

I've cured both lice and mites using just ashes from our wood stove. Two treatments, the second 10 days after the first. Worked great, nothing to buy and way less toxic than any of those insect dusts.

I had my husband pull ashes from our wood stove last night and set it out in a litter dish to see if they would take sand baths in it, but you dust them with it like the powder puff method? I'm desperate, I've just noticed these creatures but it seems to be the answer as to the feather loss I have been seeing! I would love to try something not so toxic as I do not want to throw my limited eggs away! 

Also I have two coops but I free range everyone together, should I treat everybody? 

Just scoop up a handful of wood ash with your hand and work it into their feathers down to the skin. Do it wherever you see mites or lice but especially around the vent. No need to withhold eggs. It would be best to treat the whole flock.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

While people will vary on their personal preferences, you don't have to toss eggs with either Permethrin or Carbaryl (Sevin). It isn't a systemic drug to the bird, only an environmental deterrent.

LofMc