lice, mites or what? AHHH

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
I think - - not sure - - that if you use ivermectin you will have to toss your eggs for a couple of weeks. Ivermectin is typically applied as a "pour on" and it is absorded into the bloodstream and therefore into the eggs .. . . With sevin and adams, there is no egg withdrawal period.

I think human LICE look more like chicken MITES. Small black or red specks of bugs . . ..

Chicken lice are more like rice - - white and larger than mites.
Chicken lice do not like human hosts. MITEs will chow on any host. . .

Sure sounds like you might be dealing with mites. You will have to get real aggresive with treatment - - coop, nest box, perches, AND BIRDS. REPEAT application in 7 - 10 days and then REPEAT one more time 7 - 10 days. Then get on a prevative schedule of treatment for these little critters. If you don't repeat in the appropriate time window - - - You Will NOT break the cycle ! !

Lice look like lice, regardless of whether human or chicken; they are a tannish colour. The white is the eggs, not the lice itself. Most mites are red or black specks. Some mites are fairly host specific, others less so. Lots of information out there if you google it. The Merck Vet Manual online is a good resource.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I think - - not sure - - that if you use ivermectin you will have to toss your eggs for a couple of weeks. Ivermectin is typically applied as a "pour on" and it is absorded into the bloodstream and therefore into the eggs .. . . With sevin and adams, there is no egg withdrawal period.

I think human LICE look more like chicken MITES. Small black or red specks of bugs . . ..

Chicken lice are more like rice - - white and larger than mites.
Chicken lice do not like human hosts. MITEs will chow on any host. . .

Sure sounds like you might be dealing with mites. You will have to get real aggresive with treatment - - coop, nest box, perches, AND BIRDS. REPEAT application in 7 - 10 days and then REPEAT one more time 7 - 10 days. Then get on a prevative schedule of treatment for these little critters. If you don't repeat in the appropriate time window - - - You Will NOT break the cycle ! !

Lice look like lice, regardless of whether human or chicken; they are a tannish colour. The white is the eggs, not the lice itself. Most mites are red or black specks. Some mites are fairly host specific, others less so. Lots of information out there if you google it. The Merck Vet Manual online is a good resource.

Sorry Sonoran Silkies, lice color varies. I had a White Rock rooster and a RIR rooster given to me 4 years ago that were infested with white in color feather lice. Sevin dust took care of them. Luckily I had them in quarantine too.

 

[math ace]

http://www.luggacurrenpoultry.com/resources/lice%20on%20poultry.jpg

When I say white rice type - - - this picture does a good job of showing you what I am talking about. This is what the lice looked like that were on my bird.

While looking for this picture, I also found where they were showing pictures of lice that looked like human lice - - small and black.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
I am actually surprised that your state extension office would not have a problem with you selling eggs to the public without following some kind of a withdrawal period. I am "assuming" you are selling the eggs because you have 90 birds (and hopefully I did not make a mistake in assuming so

). It is scarry that they would not recognize the importance of avoiding an allergic reaction by a consumer . . . .

Actually, you did

I don't sell my eggs to the public - don't sell them at all for that matter. They are for us and my two neighbors who are very old school when it comes to these sorts of things. They spray their veggies and fruit trees, doctor their own animals, eat meat that isn't free range, etc etc lol. They know exactly what I treat the birds with and have no problem with it or the eggs. I always let them know when they ask for eggs what I've done in the last two weeks, if anything. And it was strictly off the record with the office and my doctors, just random conversations and their personal opinions. I would never sell eggs to the public if I used any sort of chemical on my birds, even the Sevin. I just wouldn't feel right about that even if someone said it was ok.

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
Since you have alot of birds, you can use ivomec injectable 1% cattle ivermectin in their water...4cc per gallon of water. The mixture is the only water the birds get for 2 days. Repeat again in 14 days for lice/mites. The reason there's a withdrawal period for most wormers, except eprinex, is that it takes time for the wormer to go through the chickens system. It takes time to kill the worms, it takes time to expel the worms or be absorbed as protein and it takes time for the wormer to be expelled from the chickens system. Anyone who eats eggs within the 14 day withdrawal period can injest the wormer, however so slight, and possibly have a reaction. Remember, wormers are poisons designed to paralyze or kill worms. Also, there might be an accumulation factor involved til it's expelled. Withdrawal period for ivermectin pour on is 48 days for cattle slaughter. Fourteen days is a reasonable period for me to wait and eat the eggs. Yes, ivermectin is used in other countries to prevent 'river blindness.' Most wormers on the market are used in this country to get rid of internal parasites.(Ivermectin, wazine, fenbendazole and albendazole just to name a few.) When dealing with this stuff, I'll play it safe. What anyone else chooses to do is up to them.

I do use it in their water but it has had no effect whatsoever on the lice/mite problem which is why I have finally decided to use Sevin. I'm not against using it from the chemical standpoint, it's just a pain. Took me 3 hours today to powder the girls (after the first couple, they others figured they had better run faster lol) but I got it done and hopefully will see some results after the next powdering in 14 days. If not, I'm probably going to pull my hair out since I really cannot wash down the coop, paint it or do anything drastic with it till next summer. The weather here isn't conducive to that sort of thing right now. Any extra amount of moisture in the coop immediately turns into a mold problem so I'm very reluctant to use anything other than powder.

And I totally agree with you, it is totally up to the person if they eat the eggs or not when using ivermectin

All a matter of personal preference.