Roo covered in lice or mites

[trinacliff]

A friend of mine has a new roo that is covered in lice or mites...they are brown? Thick feathers are caked with stuff...I guess eggs or whatever? I told her to use Ivomec on back of neck (.5cc for bantam). Can she dust him also? Bathe him? How do you get the junk out of the feathers? Wondering if a bath would help or just be stressful. Ok...now I'm itching just thinking about it!

Thanks!

Kristen

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

A bath is ideal, but should only be attempted if the bird will be taken inside and blown dry with a hair dryer in the winter.

And I don't think she wants all those bugs in the house.

Also- I guess if the garage is warm enough she might rig something up there, though.

So for now if it were me, I would do the pour on medication and dust with Sevin. Then every week, dust with Sevin again until GONE. (And I would probably take the bird in my garage for a bath and blow dry.)

I am not familiar with the dosage for ivermectin- I used Eprinex pour on (eprinomectin).

If she treats the rest of her flock with it, be aware that there is an egg withdrawal time for ivermectin.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[Matt A NC]

Don't bath if you use ivomec on the neck. That will wash alot of it away.

For a bad infestation:
Treat with Ivomec now. If the bugs are still alive and visibly crawling 2 days after treatment then you need to switch to a different topical. Some bugs are getting immune to ivomec.

Once you don't see bugs crawling Clean and Dust everything, about 2-3 days after the ivomec or other treatment. Clean out all the bedding/litter in the coops, Dust the coops(get every crack), put in new bedding, that dust that too.

8-10 days later redust the birds to catch any bugs that hatched and survived.

Matt

 

[trinacliff]

Thanks guys! I will pass this information along!

Oh, what would be a different topical if the bugs are still alive after two days?

Take care,

Kristen

 

[welasharon]

When mine had mites I dusted with seven and then 10days later put ivomec on them. I dusted myself well enough not to do that again! I don't think I would do both at the same time.
sharon

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

we use adams flea and tick spray

 

[trinacliff]

Mrs. Turbo :

we use adams flea and tick spray

Do you spray over and under the feathers to get it all down deep in there?

Thanks,

Kristen​

 

[ND]

Certain mites and lice do NOT feed off of the bird (bite the bird/suck blood) and therefore just won't be killed by a topical pour on product. Some eat the shedding dander or feed of the feathers. They won't be killed by the pour on products that work by absorbing into the skin/blood stream and kill parasites that bite the actual bird.

Topical products that are meant to kill by direct contact WILL kill them. Sevin dust (this is all I've ever used after the pour on products failed) will kill any of the lice/mites, biting or not. I haven't used the flea and tick products, but those should work, too, if you can get it soaked on the bird all over. I just find the sevin dust the easiest.

Nothing is likely to kill the eggs (the clumps you see on the feathers) You will need to physically remove those the best you can OR continue to treat and re-treat until all are hatched and GONE. It's possible for him to have several different kinds of mites or lice, but the ones that lay their eggs on the feather shafts live their entire lifecycle on the bird... they don't infest coops. Some only feed on the birds, but breed and hatch in the coops-- those require coops to be as thoroughly treated as the birds!

 

[BeccaB00]

I've heard about dusting them with 7 dust. But it will only kill the lice. Not the eggs. so in a few weeks when the eggs hatch, she'll have to dut all over again. With it being winter, She'd have to take him inside to bath him. Then blow dry him before taking him back outside. I don't think she'll want a lice covered rooster in her house. So I don't think I'd worry about bathing though it would probably help.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

It's also good to keep in mind how sensitive and prone to infection the chicken respiratory system is and work hard to limit the amount of either dust or vapors that the chicken inhales in the treatment process. Especially in the winter time when they may be closed up in the coop more often than usual. Do as much of this treatment as possible out in the fresh air and avoid spraying the coops with anything too obnoxious until it's a nice day that the chickens can be outside for as long as possible.