So as much as i hate to say it my chicken house is infested. I bought Permectrin ll concentrate. I am going to remove all the birds from the barn and put them in wire cages till i get it cleaned and sprayed. I want to spray it from ceiling to floor. Then i want to treat each bird before it goes back in the barn. I bought the powder permectrin to treat the birds with. I will not put any litter in the barn as i want to re-clean and spray in a week and retreat the birds. This is my first infestation with lice or mites so any help or advice will help. I will also add the barns are on skids and sit about 8 inches off the ground. should i fire up the tractor and move the barns and treat the ground under them.
I would dip the birds also then when their dry use the powder as a immediate follow up and again in 2 weeks to break the egg cycle.
The life cycle of the Northern Fowl mite is 4 days, but with lice is different: Al6517 is correct in saying 2 weeks will need a repeat. (see website) I retreat for Northern Fowl mite at around 10 days to kill the hatching eggs. http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html