Lice, please help my girls

[Theicequeen]

I am all itchy just talking about this but I just found another chicken of mine dead !!!!!!!! They have bare bottoms, and it is starting to go up the side of the tails, one looks like it possibly has lice on the base root of her feathers on the rear, as far as the others i was not seeing anything visible. I went the other day and got Sevin,it is the liquid form the man at the tractor supply told my father to spray it is better then using the dust.

Now here is my questions, as I am planning on doing the spraying tomorrow, at least for the chickens.


Is the liquid Sevin ok to use on them? do we just use a hose and spray on them or is it better at this point since apparently this has been going on for a few months already, to dunk them in a bucket of the solution , but not there head and ears of course? or put in a spray bottle and treat each one .

Is this lice transmitted to humans or dogs? of course i am all itchy now but that is just because i am thinking about it,lol.

I feel HORRIBLE about this.

Is this because we did something wrong with there bedding or housing? I feel like it is our fault, we didnt do anything on purpose of course. The one chicken looks all fluffed out , i am not even sure if she is going to make it.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
I would return the liquid sevin and get the sevin dust simply because it is persistant...meaning it will last longer and be effective longer on your chickens after you dust them. Once you dust them, repeat dusting in 10 days to to kill nits that have hatched after the first dusting, breaking their lifecycle. You'll need to dust the inside of their house, roosts and nests. Repeat again in 10 days. The lice are host specific, they like chickens...in this case lol.

 

[carlinic]

I just treated for mites with Sevin dust and repeated again the next week and they are gone. If you dust them it will stay on longer. I also treated the coop, roosts, etc. I even sprinkled all over the outside ground and where they take their dust baths so they would reapply when they bathed. Its nothing you did that caused it. Unfortunately wild birds carry them and can infect your flock. We have a lot of wild pigeons and crows here that like to feed with the chickens so we've had to run fishing line so they can't fly to where their food is. Good Luck!

 

[Theicequeen]

how do you dust them? should i be putting it on them and then rubbing it in so that it is to the skin? i just want to make sure i get them good.

 

[carlinic]

Its alot easier if one person holds them and the other dusts them. I did it myself. I would hold them on their backs cradled in my arm with their vent facing towards the back and I wore latex gloves and would shake the canister a little in one spot then use my hand to get under their feathers and down to their skin. I would have to switch arms holding them so I made sure I got both sides, their belly, around their vents, under their wings, on their back everywhere. I think it felt good to them after a minute or so since their probably itchy from the mites.

 

[Theicequeen]

I am going tomorrow morning to stock up on the dust,lol. Make sure i get it everywhere and on every chicken,lol

 

[welasharon]

another way to do it alone is to put the dust in a pillowcase and stick all but the head of the chicken in the case and fluff the dust around them good. Be careful not to let them pull their head into the case. It is not good AT ALL for you or the chickens to breathe the dust.
sharon

 

[bentmtnhen]

While it is commonly used in gardens & on pets, Sevin is still a chemical pesticide. Please be protect yourself and your birds when using it.
AS WITH ANY PESTICIDE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE ENTIRE LABEL BEFORE USE While it is considered safe when used properly, you are handling a potentially poisonous material.

A little info from my pesticide mgmt training about the product "Sevin":
-it is a contact irritant so protect your skin to avoid rash
-if it enters your system, you may experience some of the following (a combo of symptoms or severe symptoms may indicate that you should seek medical attention): headache, dizziness, weakness, shaking, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, or sweating - my training only covered horticultural uses, so I don't know if your chickens could experience similar symtoms
-possible delayed/allergic effects may include loss of appetite, weakness, weight loss, or a general feeling of sickness

Be smart, be safe, and best of luck!!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Another easy way to dust them is to put the dust in a pantyhose and use it like a powder puff. Wear a mask and also it is easier to do them at night after they have gone to roost. good luck

 

[Theicequeen]

Ok so i covered up, had gloves and a mask on, and we dusted the HECK out of my girls, i put some in the coop too, and on the roost boards to help. This weekend we are going to do a complete clean of the coop , treat with it again in the bedding it self and put all new bedding in.

As far as egg consumption do we have to wait a week before we can consume the eggs again or is that only with the liquid stuff?