PLEASE HELP - Silkie Pullet’s head COVERED in mites/lice eggs!

[mrsmistoffelees02]

Hey everyone. Freaking out a bit here. I love my chickens and spend time with them every day, so I don’t know how I just noticed this. My silkie pullet has been having an eye infection this week, I’ve been treating it and today I noticed her face was looking kind of crusty so I brought her inside to clean her up a bit. When I was cleaning her, I noticed her feathers didn’t seem right, and looking closer they look like tiny EGGS. I have seen people deal with similar things near their chicken’s vent area, but not right by their face. She only has a couple of mites/lice (which is still a problem that I’m going to fix!), so it’s not like an infestation, but I am sick to my stomach with concern. My older chickens are mite/lice free.

I have diatomaceous earth and liquid permethrin. What should I do?!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That can be pretty common with silkies as they cannot preen their own heads. I would treat with an appropriate spray or powder weekly for 3-4 weeks. With lice you may have to pick out the white clusters. I had to when I dealt with this in a broody silkie. You might want to treat them for parasites more often as silkies don't dust bath as much in my experiences.

 

[mrsmistoffelees02]

That can be pretty common with silkies as they cannot preen their own heads. I would treat with an appropriate spray or powder weekly for 3-4 weeks. With lice you may have to pick out the white clusters. I had to when I dealt with this in a broody silkie. You might want to treat them for parasites more often as silkies don't dust bath as much in my experiences.

Thank you for your advice.
I have permethrin spray... You think it will be fine to spray directly on her head if I cover her eyes and nose?
What is the best way to pick out the white clusters? I tried to pick a few off using tweezers, but they are pretty much cemented on there and I don’t want to hurt her.

 

[Eggcessive]

The white lice egg clusters will hatch out every 10 days. So I would treat her at least twice with the permethrin spray or garden dust 2-3 times at 10 day intervals. The coop and nest bedding should be removed far away or burned, and new pine shavings should be added. Ivermectin 5mg per ml pour-on can be used instead to the back of her neck over her spine at 14 day intervals twice. Dosage is 0.1 ml for 2 pound silkie. If using ivermectin, the eggs should be discarded for 14 days after each treatment.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Spray should be okay. I generally use the dust, so I'm not as familiar with the spray. Those nit cluster are like cement. I would just use my fingernails and try to bust them up. It took some doing, and took multiple sessions over a week or two.

 

[Dizzee474]

Hey everyone. Freaking out a bit here. I love my chickens and spend time with them every day, so I don’t know how I just noticed this. My silkie pullet has been having an eye infection this week, I’ve been treating it and today I noticed her face was looking kind of crusty so I brought her inside to clean her up a bit. When I was cleaning her, I noticed her feathers didn’t seem right, and looking closer they look like tiny EGGS. I have seen people deal with similar things near their chicken’s vent area, but not right by their face. She only has a couple of mites/lice (which is still a problem that I’m going to fix!), so it’s not like an infestation, but I am sick to my stomach with concern. My older chickens are mite/lice free.

I have diatomaceous earth and liquid permethrin. What should I do?!

the best thing I have found after trying to many options is IVERMECTIN - if it is good enough for humans ... yes, I rub it into my own skin !!

 

[Eggcessive]

Ivermectin according to some has lost effectiveness in treating lice, worms, or mites. permethrin garden dust or spray, while more time consuming, may save money, since it works well. Lice should be treated every 10 days at least twice, while mites are treated every 5 days, to get the newly hatched eggs. Always with lice or mite infestations, the coop bedding must be removed, the coop, nests, and roosts treated with permethrin or Elector PSP, and new bedding placed.

 

[Dizzee474]

Ivermectin according to some has lost effectiveness in treating lice, worms, or mites. permethrin garden dust or spray, while more time consuming, may save money, since it works well. Lice should be treated every 10 days at least twice, while mites are treated every 5 days, to get the newly hatched eggs. Always with lice or mite infestations, the coop bedding must be removed, the coop, nests, and roosts treated with permethrin or Elector PSP, and new bedding placed.

I don't KNOW but to me permethrin DUST could not be good for chickens to possibly inhale - I started Ivermectin this season and did not have any trouble with lice or mites. Diatomaceous earth in their dry feed for internal worms. Plus Ivermectin only needs applied once every three months (depending on the infestation - maybe every 2 months) It worked for our chickens & turkeys. I am not going to have our birds being eaten by tiny evil bugs!!

 

[Eggcessive]

I have used it (permethrin dust and spray) without problems. Ivermectin has a long egg withdrawal time. It is not approved for chickens, although I would use it for some things where permethrin might not treat.

I sure would not rub it into my skin without a doctor’s advice. It might be used for treatment of scabies a mite infestation on the skin, but not sure.

DE is definitely not good for chickens‘ eyes or lungs and airway. It doesn’t treat worms since it is useless when wet inside the intestines and body. Many feeds contain some DE to help keep feed dry and may prevent bugs.

If I had never seen lice or mites in my chickens I would not use any treatment to prevent them. Medications should just be used for an infestation.

 

[dawg53]

Lice do not suck blood like mites. Not only is Ivermectin showing worm resistance in poultry, the same is true for mites in different parts of the country.
Then there is the long withdrawal period with Ivermectin. Permethrin does not have a withdrawal period. The Permethrin liquid concentrate has a 28 day residual effect after spraying inside coops.
DE is good for only one thing; emptying your purse or wallet.
It's best to use Benzimidazoles to treat birds for worms.