Mites or Lice? Please help identify and need treatment for Ducks and chickens

[ckn-hrtd]

For a small flock and a small chicken house, the old timers' practice was to leave a cigarette burn at night to keep the lice away. Wouldn't cost much anyway.

 

[angela0408]

I hate that powder stuff. Too toxic for me and can’t be great for the chickens, not to mention time consuming and hard ti get everywhere, especially if you have a lot of chickens and/or area to cover. I had a terrible infestation of red mites this spring, I used dr. Doom mite and lice spray for poultry, worked like a charm. But still put a face mask on while spraying though. For my little chicks not laying yet, I put a drop of injectable ivermectin on the back of their necks. I have it for the sheep and goats so I had it on hand. I wouldnt use it on your layers.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

So I am really afraid of the powder (permethrin and especially the DE) and it's lingering dust, due to me already having lung damage at 40 years old. I certainly don't mean to offend anyone, and I say that sincerely. I have DE, but I have decided that in my personal inexperienced opinion, the risks outweigh the proven benefits. With the weather we've had here in NC (warm afternoons/freezing overnight) I did powder my ducks (where I definitely have bugs and 1 duck that's not able to get out and about due to a foot injury) and my 2 flocks of chickens that have shown signs of probable bugs, but I haven't seen bugs on the chickens. I powdered them as best as I could around their vents, bellies, and under wings. I want to spray them with the Gordon's permethrin spray and spray their living quarters as well. I'm hoping to be able to do this within this week. Am I risking an overdose of permethrin by spraying my birds and ducks after they were dusted? I just wanted to do something before I lost anyone to bugs, but I'd really like to do a more thorough job on everyone