LICE on my Broody and others

[SecondChanceRanch]

Help!!!!

I was making my broody take time to eat and drink when I decided to check her over. I found some lice on her.

I spot checked one other of my remaining 10 in the flock and she had lice also. So much information I am not sure what to do.

CAN I treat my broody who is 14 days in? I have NO IDEA what to do. She is in a separate coop from the rest, not that that matters since theyay all have it! Ugh....

 

[BirdGirl2004]

Well, for the broody ( and the others as well ) I would but diatomaceous earth in all of there food to clear the lice out. just sprinkle a little bit of it in there food and it should get rid of lice. You can also sprinkle some in there bedding to rid of them too. I will attach a thread that has lots of useful info on how to get rid of it! Hope this helps!
Good luck with your broody!

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

Well, for the broody ( and the others as well ) I would but diatomaceous earth in all of there food to clear the lice out. just sprinkle a little bit of it in there food and it should get rid of lice. You can also sprinkle some in there bedding to rid of them too. I will attach a thread that has lots of useful info on how to get rid of it! Hope this helps!
Good luck with your broody!

First of all you just made me feel SO much better!! I CAN do this! I was So overwhelmed by all the information out there and it felt SO MUCH BIGGER than me. Thank you <3

 

[Kessel23]

I also would sprinkle some DE in the dust baths so when they take a dust bath they cover the lice on their skin with DE. You could also sprinkle some in the nest to kill any hiding out in their. I do not think it should harm the eggs, people put it on Purple Martin nests to kill mites often. Maybe take the eggs out, sprinkle some in there, then put some fresh wood chips or bedding over the top of it and put the eggs back.

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

I also would sprinkle some DE in the dust baths so when they take a dust bath they cover the lice on their skin with DE. You could also sprinkle some in the nest to kill any hiding out in their. I do not think it should harm the eggs, people put it on Purple Martin nests to kill mites often. Maybe take the eggs out, sprinkle some in there, then put some fresh wood chips or bedding over the top of it and put the eggs back.

Do you think I could give my broody a dust bath in a bag? Or no again Because of the eggs and sitting on them?

 

[Kessel23]

I am kinda confused by that question, I would just mix some DE in with the dust they use for dust baths and then let her out and see if she wants to take a dust bath. The DE will stick to the mites but when she shakes off the dust then the DE on her will get thrown off too. The mites that got some on them will die and she will return to the nest with a very small amount of DE on her and mites. My broody hens will usually take a dust bath at least once a week.

 

[SecondChanceRanch]

I am kinda confused by that question, I would just mix some DE in with the dust they use for dust baths and then let her out and see if she wants to take a dust bath. The DE will stick to the mites but when she shakes off the dust then the DE on her will get thrown off too. The mites that got some on them will die and she will return to the nest with a very small amount of DE on her and mites. My broody hens will usually take a dust bath at least once a week.

And this is just as effective on Lice?

 

[Kessel23]

Yes, DE will kill anything with an exoskeleton.

 

[ourrune]

Yes, DE will kill anything with an exoskeleton.

It should be food grade correct? I’m asking because I had chicks with lice and two of them died before I even figured out they had it one is surviving and I had put two week old chicks in an area where I had recently had my older chicks with the lice but was like DUH and took them back out right away but now I’m worried my two week olds are probably infected. I can’t find any DE food grade near me am I right that they need food grade? And is it common that lice kill them like that?

 

[arrowti]

I used prozap poultry dust (promethrin) on our broody and even mixed it in her nest to kill mites (also works on lice, reportedly) after the eggs hatched and the chicks were just fine. It didn't hurt them at all. Since they're not hatched I wouldn't worry about it at all. Once they 'do' hatch, I would be careful of directly dusting the chicks because the powder can be a bit hard on the lungs (spoken from experience, my stupid butt didn't wear a mask when using it).