Mites, Lice, not quite sure

[love2grinchicke]

Okay, I noticed some not-healthy looking feathers on my adorable Pola Negri, so I pulled them back and took a look. I saw a bunch of little yellow bugs running away from me. She was promptly dusted thoroughly with DE. One of her friends, who has been blind for the past few weeks with pus (long story) is completely covered with the same yellow bugs. Are they lice, mites, or what? How would I treat this? I have a county fair coming up!

 

[weezilgirl]

My experience with mites is they are red, not yellow. The yellow may be live. How many times have you dusted them with DE? Mites will cause a hen to become anemic, I don't know about lice. I know it isn't healthy to allow them to stay on your birds.

Why does the chicken have pus so bad that it is blind? Can you clean her eyes with q-tips and some sort of mild cleanser? Have you talked to a veterinarian about her? I recommend that she be helped ASAP.

Here are information I found on this site.

cluckcluckluke 7/11/13 at 12:05amFlag
I found a mix of Sulfur, Lime and DE works great on lice and mites. It is also much cheaper to buy than the poultry dust.
Great Article. Good read...but now I'm feeling imaginary bugs crawling all over me!!


Yard full o' rocks 7/10/13 at 4:40pmFlag
GREAT info....another solution that works very well is Petarmor for dogs (not the PLUS version) in the XL size (89 to 132 lbs). A package contains 3 vials normally. Add 2 vials to 16 oz of 90+% isopropyl alcohol (found readily at any pharmacy now) in a clean spray bottle, shake well and put one spray in the vent area (near, not "in") and one spray under each wing. The liquid needs to touch the skin, so separate the feathers.

These pests are either blood sucking or chewing parasites. But chicken lice only eat feathers or shedding skin. Lice vary in size and shape length is 1/25 to ¼ inch. Most are yellow or straw colored. They are very hard to see on white chickens but easy on dark. Luckily, lice die quickly when off of chickens. They’re many types of lice that can be seen, head, body, and feather lice. By grooming chickens can keep lice at a minimum. So debeaked birds or overgrown beaked birds are more likely at risk for lice. Because lice bite chickens, they pull their own feathers out to try and make the irritation stop. Chickens lay poorly and have low fertility when infected with lice. They are spread through contact with other contaminated birds. You can see lice crawling around on the chickens skin and vent. Louse eggs will be clumped on the feather shaft.


Body Louse
Body lice chew through the skin into growing quills to get to the blood. You will find scabs on skin and light eggs. Body lice move really fast so it may be hard to see when you check your birds.

Head Louse
This is the most serious louse pest. They are very harsh on young birds and they spread from the hen to her chicks. Seriously infected chicks will die.

Common Fowl Louse
These are the most common louse. Because parasites itch, feathers are picked and scratched, making bare patches. They reproduce rapidly laying groups of eggs called nits.

Treatment​

A good treatment for mites and lice wood ash for your chickens to dust bath in. Sevin Dust I found out has been banned for use on poultry. There are other treatments like poultry sprays. Treat by spraying on the chicken and on the roosts, nesting boxes, everything. I use Garden & Poultry dust to help prevent (not treat) mites and lice. They’re many other treatments for these parasites. Covering the nits in petroleum jelly prevents them from hatching and they then fall off.

Prevention​

Always keep your chicken coops clean and dry. Use dust like Garden & Poultry dust to prevent these parasites. Make sure your chickens have a place to dust bath. Regularly check your chickens for these parasites (at night will be easier because you won’t have to catch them).


If you have any question please feel free to ask.

~WillowBranchFarm~

You are going to have to thoroughly clean the chicken house and yard. Rake up all leaves, grass, etc.

 

[weezilgirl]

I am also finding that Sevin is recommended. Look it up here. Search for "Sevin for lice".