Mites and lice on laying hens

[ms1780]

I have 5 hens that about two years old and 5 that should start laying any day. A couple of the older birds have feathers missing on under their vent and they have not been laying eggs very well for a while now. I only get about one or two eggs a day fromt he five birds. They get a layer pellet as well as oyster shell and grit. I suspect they may have mites and/or lice. I have permetherin 1% pour on that I use on my cattle. Will this work for spraying the birds? I stood outside the pen and sprayed a little on them but found out that is not going to work. They are not real easy to catch but if this spray will work I will catch them and treat them with it. Also, should I treat the younger birds that show no signs?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Judy]

i would definitely treat them all. I don't know why that permethrin wouldn't be OK, although I've actually not run across someone using cattle permethrin on chickens. We certainly treat them with stuff for other species, though! Besides Sevin 5%, "poultry spray" or "poultry dust" is also effective for lice and mites, and it is usually a combination of permethrins and pyrethrins. You might read a couple of labels online and see how the doses compare. Adams flea and tick spray is the same thing, as far as I know -- it is sold for fleas on dogs.

You probably need to go in there with a friend and a flashlight after dark, when you can pick them up without causing panic, and spray well under the feathers. You also need to treat the coop, and repeat the process in a week. Don't miss the undersides of the roosts and the cracks in the coop where they like to hide their eggs, or where they hide, which ever it is.

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

 

[ms1780]

I got them all out of the house and sprayed it down real good with that permethrin 1%. I am going to get some powder to put in their nest boxes and also spray them with the permetherin tonight. Thanks for the info. I hope this leads to better egg production.

 

[ms1780]

I covered the doors the hen house and caught them each one by one with a large fishing net. I held them upside down by their legs and sprayed them down with the permethrin and then put them in the house so I knew which ones I had and had not done. While catching them one of them spurred me. I have been thinking about making this "hen" into chicken soup anyway because she has a large crown and I just assumed she was old and not laying may eggs. Now I am thinking "she" is a rooser. Is there a sure way to tell? Like I said the crown is large and the bird has spurs.

Also, I did not actually find any mites or lice on the other birds. Two of the hens were missing feathers on the breast and vent area. The feathers were very stiff and brittle around those areas too. Could this be being caused by the possible rooster or would something else be causing this?