PERMETHRIN? how does it compare to DE?

[swedishfish]

Some of my chickens have a lice problem. I'm going to clean up the coop today. I would prefer not to use any drastic or radical measures. I want to still be able to eat the eggs. If I buy some DE and dust the entire coop and attempt to dust my birds, then leave a box of DE and ash for them to dust themselves in periodically, will that take care of the lice problem? I realize this method will take a while.

 

[swedishfish]

Anybody? I want to know if this will work before I go out and do it!

 

[swedishfish]

Someone has GOT to know...
If no one responds soon I'll just go out and do it, and if it doesn't work then I'll have wasted a lot of time trying to help my chickies!

 

[Imp]

I don't think DE will get rid of lice/mites, more of a preventative. Once you get rid of them, then DE will help reduce reinfestation. Good luck.

Imp

 

[Chirpy]

Absolutely give the DE a try. Dust everything with it, wear a mask when you are doing it as it's harmful to breathe in DE.

Also, I'm guessing you have FOOD grade DE. That's critically important - if it's not food grade it's harmful to them.

You don't want your chickens to dust in just DE. However, adding some DE to a dirt bath (or sand bath) area will help.

 

[speckledhen]

The only bird I've ever purchased had lice. I used a parmesan cheese shaker jar and dusted all under the feathers, wings, vent area with DE, PLUS his bedding he slept in. Did the trick, but you have to dust them very well and it MUST be FOOD GRADE.


Ive never used a mask, though it's not a bad idea anytime you are throwing a powder like substance around!

 

[swedishfish]

Went to IFA and all they had was Permethrin. I know it will work, but does it do all the stuff DE does, or just take care of the bugs?

 

[speckledhen]

DE isn't poison so it can be put into their feed as well, to keep out moisture and kill bugs if they get into the feed. There is much written about food grade DE as a preventative wormer, but I have my doubts that it works as well as some may think since internally, it gets wet. There have been some reports (no, I dont have the link) where the inside of birds who died has been dessicated, but that would to me indicate an extreme overload of DE!

 

[swedishfish]

Alrighty, so I'll clean the coop, dust it with this Permethrin stuff (.25%) and mix a little bit and ash into their dust bath spots. I'll take the food and water out when dusting and I won't go crazy with it...The chickies won't get hurt by this stuff at all, will they?