Lice

[Farmers Daughter]

Lice and mites can happen to anyone at any time. It doesn't mean it WILL happen.
Practicing good husbandry, keeping things reasonably clean, keeping your flock as healthy as possible, providing them proper and adequate dust bathing areas, all can help prevent it. Having them show up is not the end of the world, just something that has to be dealt with, just like fleas and ticks on dogs an cats, or internal parasites in all animal species. There are all kinds of things that CAN happen, but it doesn't mean that they WILL happen. Most of the bugs will stay on the birds, they prefer them to humans. It is not something that would keep me from having them, any more than fleas and ticks would keep me from having other animals.

Thanks!

 

[Farmers Daughter]

This is a valid concern! We get mites every year (annoyingly enough) our location is just special like that. We treat with diatomaceous earth. We just spread it around the coop on as many surfaces and nooks and crannies as we can get until the mites go away. I’ve never had to deal with lice.
Edit to add: avoid breathing diatomaceous earth! It’s made out of little sharp sea creature fossil bits that are bad for your lungs! Chickens will be fine as they do not live long enough to develop respiratory issues from it.

Wow… that was…um…not so nice. We were all first time chicken owners at some point. Everyone has concerns. Don’t make people feel bad about it.

Just trying to get my plans together for happy, healthy hens. Thanks for the ideas!

 

[EEforMe]

Just trying to get my plans together for happy, healthy hens. Thanks for the ideas!

Of course!

 

[Eggcessive]

One thing to know is that if you use an older coop to house your birds, lice usually die within a week of being vacant, while mites will die within 3 weeks of vacancy. When you set up a coop, I would spray it well with Permethrin 10 spray before adding clean new bedding. Avoid using straw, since straw can harbor mites, and may be introduced this way. Wild birds can carry in lice and mites. Examine your birds twice a month for tiny bugs under the vent, abdomen and thighs. Good luck if you get chickens.

Get baby chicks from a hatchery or feed store. That way, you won’t accidentally bring in a chicken who has lice or mites. For 5 years I never had any problem, but a friend brought me a very special cockerel, and slipped him into my yard before I had examined or quarantined him. He had lice, and it spread.

Here is a very good article with many facts about lice and mites:
https://poultryhealthinspection.ucd...-files/treatment-of-lice-mites-of-poultry.pdf

 

[Eggcessive]

Here is where to find Permethrin 10 if you cannot find it in most feed stores, and it is mixed with water according to directions for treating poultry and housing:
https://www.chewy.com/martins-perme...MIrprfpo-W9AIVAGxvBB2KbQD4EAQYAiABEgJT2fD_BwE
Usually 15 ml per grown chicken is all that is needed, and there is also a permethrin garden dust found in feed stores for use in cold weather.