Lice

[allmychickens]

My birds have a bad case of feather lice... i bought the dust... but... how often do you apply it?? It says to keep off of skin but is that really important?? Are eggs after that edible??

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

What I do is take a cardboard box and line it with a plastic trash bag. Then, whilst wearing long sleeves, mask, gloves (take shower after), I turn the chicken upside down on its back in the box. I hold onto the legs, and use a tied-off sock with the dust inside it to powder puff under the wings, around the vent, and everywhere except the eyes/nose/mouth.

The plastic bag catches the excess powder and serves to dust the back of the next chicken.

Also don't attempt this inside the coop as the dust still flies everywhere and if you are outdoors you have a better chance of not inhaling any.

If you don't repeat this treatment as ohioline.edu recommends, and also change the bedding in the nest boxes and coop (go light on it as you have to throw it out again in 10-14 days or so), then the critters will come back. (For mites I recommend 10 days but have not dealt with lice.)

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

For getting the nits to dissolve I have read that unrefined coconut oil works well (warm it first) but you have to give it a few days to work.

 

[BamaSilkies]

Since they could be more inside the coop its not gonna hurt to get some in bedding. I would get them by the feet hold them upside when they calm down and open their wings like they are playing died and go to dusting fannies first because thats where most of them are going to be. I would be careful around their heads and try not to getting any in eyes or nose. You might need to turn them back over to do the upper area.