Lice! Please help - what to use?

[jenesis536]

I just brought 6 chickens home and when I was checking one of them over I saw a little beige looking bug scurrying away on its skin. I'm assuming it's lice.

I have DE and they are all in an enclosed area with a bunch of DE in the shavings, but I want to get rid of the buggers.

I read online to NOT apply Sevin directly to the chicken. I don't know where to buy Malathion, although I read you don't apply that directly to the chicken either. That leaves Permethrin. Where can I buy it? I was just at the darned feed store but it's a drive! Do they sell it at Petco or Petsmart or somewhere else more common? I need to get it today.

Or - do I stick the chicken in a bag of Sevin?

Can I give the chickens a bath and get them all cleaned up, dry them and THEN treat them?

They came from a place that had A LOT of chickens. They look healthy, but it didn't look like their coops got cleaned out often.

Also, I should mention, they are all about 8-10 weeks old. Will any of this stuff hurt them?

It's a nice day today so your quick responses are greatly appreciated!

 

[stoopid]

The quickest thing to do is a doggie flea bath.

 

[jenesis536]

Really? That will get rid of lice?

 

[petejd]

I think I read that putting Sevin in a paper bag large enough for your chickens. Put the chicken in the bag with the head held outside. Close the bag around the chickens neck and shake the bag to get the dust all over the chicken. I'm sure someone will let us know if this is not effective.

 

[koakritters]

I am having this same problem right now, but i think mine's a mixture of mites and lice, or so i've been told... check out my other post on ehre I have a pic of them up. I gave my chicken 5 baths today, and finally held him under (other than his head!) the water in the bath tub for 5 minutes which at least drowned all the bugs except the ones on his head... we had hundreds of bugs!

i found this poultry protector spray that seems to have killed the rest so far. but now i've found lots and lots of little white eggs all over him...

 

[Romochickencrazy]

Sevin powder/dust. Dust chickens directly also put on areas where they take dust bathes.
Also don't forget to change their bedding/nests.
Good Luck!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

This link might help you.

 

[jenesis536]

I picked up permethrin dust today and just got finished dusting them as much as I could. Getting down to the skin all around is hard! I layed each chicken on my lap and got under the wings and in the leg crevices and used the sock ball to poof the dust up around their vents and around their backs and necks. I also put a bunch in where they are right now. I just got them so I have them contained to a large cage (floor is contained) filled with shavings. There was already a bunch of DE in there. Any movement and a plume of dust comes up!

When I was dusting the undersides of one, I did see a bunch closer to the vent area... but on others I couldn't see any.

Do you think this will be enough? I plan to leave them in the cage overnight.

How long until this stuff works?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
You will need to retreat (see link above).

 

[Romochickencrazy]

Quote:
Great link. I'm going to add to my page. Thank you for the info ChickenAreSweet!