Need your expertise re: lice & worms

[klesoine]

Found lice on one of my chickens. Long brown/gold fast moving bodies that have created a lot of scab on my chicken's feathers. (Do you agree they are lice?) I dusted the chicken with DE to the point that she wafts white when she fluffs her feathers yesterday. Today I think there are many fewer bodies moving through her. I bought poultry dust (pyerthin 5%) and will dust her tomorrow if you think I should. I thought some of my chickens and two guinea fowl were preening but now I think they may have the lice. Only two of my chickens are comfortable with being picked up and examined. So one of them is the one I described above and the other has no issues at all with lice.

I have one chicken that does the gapeworm silent throat thing. Should I dose everyone in the water and should I use Ivermectim? If so, what should the dosage be since I can only find it for horses and the local TSC said that chickens are hardy and shouldn't need to be wormed.....

Thanks to all of you for all your knowledge.

 

[Nif]

Those definitely sound like lice. Keep checking them and dust them a few times, they will most likely have eggs that will hatch. The eggs look like greyish or whitish clumps around the shafts of the feathers, usually down by the vent, belly area.
I have heard of others putting DE in the coop as well, my cochins have a few lice and I was just going to get some.

As far as the gapeworm question, can't help you there, but sure someone can.

 

[purpletree23]

Dust EVERYONE with poultry dust. The ones that don't like to be held you can do at night. Pick them up, take them outside the coop (the dust in an enclosed area is dangerous to breathe for you and the bird ) and dust away. Make sure you get under the wings and around the vent. This has to be done again in 10 days to kill what has not hatched yet.

DE is a preventative and will not work on an infestation.

Chickens get worms all the time. Ivermectin pour on for cattle will kill critters inside and outside the chickens. That includes mites, lice and all kinds of worms. To worm them place 5 drops of the liquid at the base of their neck near the back. Separate the feathers and make sure the liquid gets on the skin. If it gets into the feathers it is useless.

Because of the lice/mites issue you have to clean the coop really well and sprinkle everything, especially the cracks with poultry dust. THEN put new bedding down. The last thing you want going into winter is mites or lice. They will multiply like crazy in the confined space and could kill your flock.

 

[Nif]

Purpletree, I have a Q about DE...if it is harmful to breathe in then is it safe to use under pine shavings in the coop?
I did know you shouldn't breathe it in, but it seems inevitable that the chicken would breathe some in if you are dusting it.

 

[klesoine]

The can of poultry dust says 1 lb per 100 chickens. It's a two pound can. I only have 14 chickens and 2 guinea hens. When you say dust away, how much powder is too much powder for the chicken? Also, I have been working on a deep layer for winter and have about 6-8 inches of really nice bedding. Do I have to get rid of all of it and start over? Or can I pull it back, dust and dust in layers? I have a steam cleaner and was going to go over walls, nests and perch. What is your opinion about the bedding?

 

[purpletree23]

Nif DE and poultry dust are both harmful to breath. When I dust I put the container close to that area and let the powder come out slowly. I try not to make a 'cloud' in the coop. I also keep the girls in the run and open all the windows and doors to air the place out.

klesoine I am working on a deep layer bedding also.. You can pull the bedding away from the walls, dust the floor and push the bedding back. Again open the windows and make sure it settles before letting in. Use your judgement on how much DE or poultry dust to use. If you HAVE mites/lice use the poultry dust. It is a chemical and will kill them. DE is a preventative. You use it BEFORE you get buggies.

When I add a new layer of bedding I sprinkle it with DE or poultry dust (your choice for your circumstances) let it settle and add more bedding.

I hope I answered both of your questions. You are welcome to PM me if you like.

 

[Nif]

Thanks purpletree...but I thought DE did actually kill the bugs by piercing their bodies and then they die. I was planning on getting Perma-Guard brand DE...any experience with this brand?

 

[foxcrossing26]

I will need to dust my girls for lice as I just lost one to a very bad infestation (on top of other issues). I wont use sevin -- much too toxic -- so I guess I'll be using pyrethrin dust. Do I have to stop eating their eggs for a period of time after I dust them? When the vet told me to use sevin, she said not to eat the eggs for a month afterwards!

If the rest of my girls caught lice from my poor hen that was so sick, can they shake off the infestation by themselves, being otherwise healthy, or must I dust them in order to get rid of the lice? I am not certain that any of them has lice, but the vet said that if one had it, they would all be infested.

TIA for your assistance.

 

[DragonFeathers]

Chickens get worms all the time. Ivermectin pour on for cattle will kill critters inside and outside the chickens. That includes mites, lice and all kinds of worms. To worm them place 5 drops of the liquid at the base of their neck near the back. Separate the feathers and make sure the liquid gets on the skin. If it gets into the feathers it is useless.

Purpletree23, I have a question for you, if I use the ivermectrin cattle like you said do I need to not use the eggs for while? and for how long, can I feed them back to the girls and my dog?
Thanks in advance