Mites/Lice!! HELP!

[lauranickerson]

I know there's a pest thread, but this is kind of an emergency because I don't have an isolation area and have to get rid of them ASAP!

I just bought 5 laying hens about an hour ago from someone on craigslist that said they were perfectly healthy. I inspected them at home before putting them with my flock, and sure enough, they have lice (I think lice, and not mites, but don't know exactly what either look like). I put a few inches of D.E. in a wash tub and held each bird down in it while I covered them in it, being sure to rub it in everywhere. I don't really have a good separation area, and will have to keep them in the garage (which I don't want to do) until they are gone. Any idea how long I should do this or what else I can use to speed things up? I really want to go pick up some Sevin dust and get it over with. Any ideas?


I can't tell if they have leg mites, too, but their legs look really dry. I'm going to pick up some vaseline just in case.


Any input would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[dawg53]

Lice are white/off white/tan in color, can be yellowish. Lice are fast movers crawling through feathers. Mites look like pepper, there are red mites also. Mites are slow movers or dont move at all. Sevin dust will kill feather lice very quickly, if that's what they are. In any case, redust your birds again in 10 days. I dont recommend putting them in the coop with your other birds until you get them totally parasite free. Put them temporarily in crates or cages, borrow some if you can. Keep them seperated from your existing flock.

 

[lauranickerson]

Lice are white/off white/tan in color, can be yellowish. Lice are fast movers crawling through feathers. Mites look like pepper, there are red mites also. Mites are slow movers or dont move at all. Sevin dust will kill feather lice very quickly, if that's what they are. In any case, redust your birds again in 10 days. I dont recommend putting them in the coop with your other birds until you get them totally parasite free. Put them temporarily in crates or cages, borrow some if you can. Keep them seperated from your existing flock.

Thank you. I found Garden and Poultry Dust at Tractor Supply on my voyage, and I doused them in that and DE again.

By your description, they sound like lice. They were very face. Some birds are worse than others. They are in a make shift pen in the garage right now. How long does this usually take to get rid of them. I'm going on vacation on Thursday and would LOVE for them to be gone by then so I can put them with the flock to make it easier on the people taking care of them.