Lice Powder

[TurtleFeathers]

Hi all -

Went to the feed store to pick up my food grade DE, but it wasn't in stock - they will call me on Tuesday when their next order arrives.

In the meantime, they gave me a 1 pound container of "Martin's Lice Killer Dust" - now that I'm home with it, I'm reading where its "For use on poultry, dogs, cats, horses, swine, beef and dairy cattle". Seems to me, anything that could be used on CATTLE might be *slightly* strong for a chicken??? I guess this is what I get for NOT reading it PRIOR to purchasing it...

The directions say to apply to poultry at the rate of 1 pound per 100 birds. This is what the ingredient listing states:

Permethrin (3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl (+/-) cis, trans-3-(2,2-dichloroethenyl)-2,2 dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate*..... 0.25%

Inert ingredients... 99.75%

*cis/trans ratio: Min. 35% (+/-) cis, Max 65% (+/-) trans

What do you all think? Should I use it? If so, should I put it directly ON the chicken, or dust the ground in the enclosure and their bedding in the house with it? Or should I take it back and wait for the DE to come in?

Thanks again -

Kathy

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do you see lice or mites? I would not medicate unless I had a real reason.

If you do have a problem requiring a solution, this dust goes directly on the chicken. If you do not have an active problem, take it back and get the DE.

 

[TurtleFeathers]

I'm sorry, I guess I should have included that info <duh...>

Yes, I do see mites/lice on 4 of my chickens. These are new EE girls that I got from a friend - they have been living with my silkies for about 3 weeks now.

They were alittle "scraggly" when they got here - like a fool, I really didn't think anything of it... I mean, they came from my friend who I trusted, and they were the only four chickens she had - they had been kept in a nice clean enclosure, but she was within the city limits and her neighbors had complained about them so she sent them to live with me...

Then the other day, I noticed all four of them laying in a little patch of earth they had scratched up - just laying there - in fact, for a second, I thought they may all be dead, so I ran over and picked one up. She was ok (as were the others), but she shook dirt out of her feathers while I was holding her. So I looked thru her feathers to see just HOW dirty she was, and I was horrified - bugs and eggs everywhere!!!

So, I posted about this in another thread (under "DE questions"). That should bring you up-to-date. After reading your post above, I went out and dusted everyone this morning - and will do so again next weekend to get any eggs that hatch out between now and then.

I'm wondering tho, should I dust one more time the weekend after that, just for good measure? (like 3 weekends in a row?) I should have my DE by Tuesday and will treat the ground and their bedding with it when I get it - but how often should I use DE? Just when I clean the coop, or more/less often?

Thanks -

Kathy