LICE!!!

[Chick2chicken]

I've just come in from identifying my chickens feathers to have lice!
They've lost some feathers and a website I read told me to check the feathers for lice and the chickens have lice.
Whats the best/natural way to get rid of the lice?
I'm going to put new sand in the coop today any material in particular I should use instead or with the sand?
If there are no natural ways to get rid of the lice whats the best product to use?
Thanks so much
Chick2chicken

 

[Squishychicken]

I use permethrin, gets rid of them over night and it takes one spritz.

 

[Chick2chicken]

I've been reading up about chicken lice they say DE is good should I dust them in DE?

 

[Squishychicken]

no, dust can be harmful to chickens sensitive respiratory system. plus DE dosent normally work for mites...permethrin on the other hand kills the mites over night and only takes one use.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I add sevin dust to my chickens’ bedding. I also put sevin dust in an old sock and powder silkies because their feathers tend to absorb the spray. Other wise I spray my chickens with the recipe above.

 

[Chick2chicken]

Okay so I just came back from checking the chickens and while I was separating the feathers to check for lice and it looked like they had lots of dandruff it would come off their feathers and float in the air and it looked exzctly like human dandruff one had more than the others I'm considering a dawn bath now?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

If they are molting or just finished molting that “dandruff” could be the keratin sheath that covers the feather before it opens.

 

[Chick2chicken]

is it possible for them to molt in winter is it possible they are growing new feathers? Also its more around their bums?

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

is it possible for them to molt in winter is it possible they are growing new feathers? Also its more around their bums?

It’s definitly possible that they will molt during the winter. Hopefully they just finished molting.

 

[Chick2chicken]

It’s definitly possible that they will molt during the winter. Hopefully they just finished molting.

Well their bums look kinda under feathered and I was told that they start with the head is it posible the lice are causing their bums to lose feathers?