Poultry Lice and Mites

[gardenKate]

One of my ladies clearly has lice- mostly around her vent and tail feathers. I've given her a bath and sprinkled pyrethim garden and poultry dust on her feathers. Another hen has either mites or another small creepy crawly, also around her tail feathers. Have gone through the same process with her. I also lightly misted the rest of the flock with a liquid spray version of the pyrethrim as a preventative measure. After the first application, how often do I need to do this? Just as needed upon inspection or within a certain day interval to complete treatment? Also, for those who have experienced mites and lice in their flocks, is this a common occurrance or rare?
These creepy crawlies give me the heebie jeebies and I'm not sure I can handle having to take of these issues on a regular basis.

 

[casportpony]

One of my ladies clearly has lice- mostly around her vent and tail feathers. I've given her a bath and sprinkled pyrethim garden and poultry dust on her feathers. Another hen has either mites or another small creepy crawly, also around her tail feathers. Have gone through the same process with her. I also lightly misted the rest of the flock with a liquid spray version of the pyrethrim as a preventative measure. After the first application, how often do I need to do this? Just as needed upon inspection or within a certain day interval to complete treatment? Also, for those who have experienced mites and lice in their flocks, is this a common occurrance or rare?
These creepy crawlies give me the heebie jeebies and I'm not sure I can handle having to take of these issues on a regular basis.

Welcome to BYC! Which spray did you use?

 

[gardenKate]

Welcome to BYC! Which spray did you use?

It's called FlyRid Plus from Durvet, .5% Permethrin.

 

[casportpony]

Okay, that's good stuff, but expensive? You also need to treat your coop, perches, nesting boxes, etc. , so if I were you I would go to Tractor Supply and get some of the 10% permethrin spray and mix your own to spray the coop.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! If your birds go outside, or have any contact at all with wild birds, mites and lice will appear sometimes. Miserable little guys, and must be treated to eliminate them.
I treat the whole flock if I find mites or lice on one bird! Go out after dark and look hard at your birds with a flashlight; around the vent, on the back, and neck.
Then spray all the birds with permethrin, and do the coop walls and floor too, and the roosts. It's best to clean out the coop, spray, and use new bedding, but treat everything either way.
I use the Gordon's permethrin spray concentrate, wonderful stuff!
The very expensive alternative is spinosad, and I may use it someday, if permethrin fails.
You may go a very long time without problems, and then treat twice in a season!
Depending, another treatment in ten
to fourteen days is a good idea. Mary

 

[gardenKate]

Okay, that's good stuff, but expensive? You also need to treat your coop, perches, nesting boxes, etc. , so if I were you I would go to Tractor Supply and get some of the 10% permethrin spray and mix your own to spray the coop.

Thankfully, it wasn't too bad- $9 for a 32oz bottle. We'll see how fast I go through the bottle!! How dangerous is this chemical for possible inhalation by the hens while I'm spraying them? And same question for the powder- I wore gloves and a dust mask when I applied it to the infected birds, but I don't know how to keep it away from their heads to try and avoid possible inhalation.

 

[lazy gardener]

You need to get the product down to the skin. Simply spraying or dusting the top feathers won't get the job done. When I had to dust my birds, I put the powder in an old sock, then held the bird by the feet on her back so I could "powder puff" under wings, her vent and her belly. Then I flipped her over and did her lower back and her neck.

Best to treat at night when the birds are easier to handle. A head lamp with a red bulb is a chicken keeper's best friend in this case. An other best friend is an assistant chicken wrangler.

 

[casportpony]

Thankfully, it wasn't too bad- $9 for a 32oz bottle. We'll see how fast I go through the bottle!! How dangerous is this chemical for possible inhalation by the hens while I'm spraying them? And same question for the powder- I wore gloves and a dust mask when I applied it to the infected birds, but I don't know how to keep it away from their heads to try and avoid possible inhalation.

Gloves and mask are good, but no need to worry too much about the birds inhaling it.

 

[gardenKate]

Also, will the permethrin dust kill the eggs or do I have to try and manually remove them from the feather shafts? I checked my afflicted hen today (day after first treatment) and I didn't see any live lice, but there were still clusters of eggs at the base of a few feather shafts. Thanks!

 

[casportpony]

Also, will the permethrin dust kill the eggs or do I have to try and manually remove them from the feather shafts? I checked my afflicted hen today (day after first treatment) and I didn't see any live lice, but there were still clusters of eggs at the base of a few feather shafts. Thanks!

I think some people use oil to get them off, but I can't remember what type they use. . I leave them alone or pluck them.