Lice?

[sniper338]

I got new to me birds a few weeks ago. Only chickens I have. They are mid life as far as I can tell.. 3 to 4 yo.. BCM flock. My easter eggers are younger.

I was looking through feathers giving them check overs... the lady I bought them from kinda screwed me... white/clear/translucent bugs crawling around... has to be lice.. I think mites are black dots like dirt hard to see.. eggs on the feather shafts around the vents... one or two woth bad bad bumblefoot.

I got some ivermection and dosed them with it on the skin via a syringe. Drop on the neck, under each wing and around the vent.... it should kill adult lice, but not eggs.. if I remember right. Feathers on the birds don't look bad... but I'm thinking this is why they aren't laying any at all...

I need to get some elector psp stuff to hit em again with.


The one I know of with bumble foot... both feet... like the size of a dime.. and deep... ive never done a bumble foot surgery. And I'm not around everyday to change out bandages.


Frustrating... I paid good money for what were supposed to be good birds. I think the quality is there... but they are alittle beat up, obvisously werent well taken care of... one I suspect got it wing broken and didn't heal right.

I guess that's what I get for buying birds unseen. She's well known around central texas... sells ALOT of birds. They were her BCM breeder flock I suspect, or someone she knew that had older birds to get rid of and make room...

So 1.. I suspected they are on the egg decline... and two I suspect lice would turn em off completely... the roo was the worst, but he is breeding them so that would spread quick...

It's not the time of year for a molt... but I had tons of feather loss in the coop and lots re growing feathers now... lots of new feathers coming in.... would I be wrong to assume they had lights on them to extend day time and they never molted this past fall... and now that they don't have lights they are molting late?


Or would lice cause that much feather loss?

 

[sniper338]

I just want BCM eggs to hatch at this point and grow up some younger hens, but I need to get these to lay!!!

 

[casportpony]

I got some ivermection and dosed them with it on the skin via a syringe. Drop on the neck, under each wing and around the vent.... it should kill adult lice, but not eggs.. if I remember right. Feathers on the birds don't look bad... but I'm thinking this is why they aren't laying any at all...

A couple of drops of ivermectin is not enough to kill lice. Do you have the pour on or the 1%? Let me know and I will give you the effective dose.

Doesn't matter, though. If you want to kill the lice, get some permethrin poultry dust or spay. That will kill them. You do not need Elector PSP.

How long have you had the birds? Did you check them for lice when you got them?

 

[sniper338]

A couple of drops of ivermectin is not enough to kill lice. Do you have the pour on or the 1%? Let me know and I will give you the effective dose.

Doesn't matter, though. If you want to kill the lice, get some permethrin poultry dust or spay. That will kill them. You do not need Elector PSP.

How long have you had the birds? Did you check them for lice when you got them?

Is the aspen ivermection pour on. Blue liquid.

I got all of them 2 weeks ago. Bought a whole little flock. 7 BCM, 4 easter eggers that don't easter egg but 1. Others are cream and brown eggs.

Shes supposed to be a big time reputable breeder. Does show chickens. I bought sight unseen due to distance, and they delivered them to me because they were in the area.. timing worked out good. Lesson learned there.

 

[FowlProtector]

It sounds like you're dealing with quite a bit, especially considering the lice and bumblefoot. It's frustrating when you buy birds thinking they'll be in good shape, only to find health issues that weren't disclosed.
To address your questions:

1. Lice and Feather Loss: Lice can absolutely cause feather loss, especially if the infestation is severe. They can irritate the skin and make the birds more likely to scratch, leading to broken or missing feathers. If the feather loss is widespread and more than just a few feathers, it's likely due to the lice, especially since you're also noticing eggs on the feather shafts.
2. Egg Production Decline: Lice can definitely affect egg production. If the birds are stressed from the lice, bumblefoot, and potential other health issues, it would make sense that they’re not laying. Stress, parasites, and injury can all contribute to a drop in egg production, especially in older hens. The roo spreading the lice can definitely worsen the situation.
3. Molting and Light Issues: It’s possible they didn’t molt in the fall if they had artificial lighting extending the day length. Hens often delay or skip molt if they’re exposed to light that mimics longer days. Now that they’re in a more natural light cycle, they might be starting to molt later than usual. If you're seeing new feathers coming in, this could be the start of that molt. Lice could also cause some of this feather loss due to irritation, so it's tricky to say if it’s just the molt or if the lice are contributing to it as well.

Regarding the bumblefoot, the dime-sized sores are concerning, and since you're not around every day, it might be harder to manage bandage changes. If you’re up for it, bumblefoot surgery is often the most effective way to treat it, but if you're not able to do it, there are some topical treatments you can try, like soaking the feet in Epsom salt and applying a topical antibiotic ointment to help with the healing.
It sounds like you're on the right track with the ivermectin and planning to use Elector PSP. Just keep an eye on them for any further symptoms, and it might take a little while for the egg production to return as they recover.

 

[casportpony]

It sounds like you're dealing with quite a bit, especially considering the lice and bumblefoot. It's frustrating when you buy birds thinking they'll be in good shape, only to find health issues that weren't disclosed.
To address your questions:

1. Lice and Feather Loss: Lice can absolutely cause feather loss, especially if the infestation is severe. They can irritate the skin and make the birds more likely to scratch, leading to broken or missing feathers. If the feather loss is widespread and more than just a few feathers, it's likely due to the lice, especially since you're also noticing eggs on the feather shafts.
2. Egg Production Decline: Lice can definitely affect egg production. If the birds are stressed from the lice, bumblefoot, and potential other health issues, it would make sense that they’re not laying. Stress, parasites, and injury can all contribute to a drop in egg production, especially in older hens. The roo spreading the lice can definitely worsen the situation.
3. Molting and Light Issues: It’s possible they didn’t molt in the fall if they had artificial lighting extending the day length. Hens often delay or skip molt if they’re exposed to light that mimics longer days. Now that they’re in a more natural light cycle, they might be starting to molt later than usual. If you're seeing new feathers coming in, this could be the start of that molt. Lice could also cause some of this feather loss due to irritation, so it's tricky to say if it’s just the molt or if the lice are contributing to it as well.

Regarding the bumblefoot, the dime-sized sores are concerning, and since you're not around every day, it might be harder to manage bandage changes. If you’re up for it, bumblefoot surgery is often the most effective way to treat it, but if you're not able to do it, there are some topical treatments you can try, like soaking the feet in Epsom salt and applying a topical antibiotic ointment to help with the healing.
It sounds like you're on the right track with the ivermectin and planning to use Elector PSP. Just keep an eye on them for any further symptoms, and it might take a little while for the egg production to return as they recover.

This looks like it was written by AI.

 

[casportpony]

Is the aspen ivermection pour on. Blue liquid.

Give 0.05 ml per pound topically. That should kill them in a few days.

Shes supposed to be a big time reputable breeder. Does show chickens. I bought sight unseen due to distance, and they delivered them to me because they were in the area.. timing worked out good. Lesson learned there.

It happens to most people. Whenever I get a new bird, the first thing I do is check for bugs. Many times, they have them. Call her and let her know.

 

[MargieG]

Sorry to hear your troubles.
For lice I would use Diatomaceous Earth food grade.
Good luck

 

[sniper338]

Sorry to hear your troubles.
For lice I would use Diatomaceous Earth food grade.
Good luck

I already treated the pen with DE.

 

[casportpony]

I already treated the pen with DE.

I tried using DE years ago, and it wasn't very effective. That's when I switched to poultry dust. Back then, we had a choice between two types - carbaryl/Sevin (now not approved for use in poultry) & permethrin.