Silkie help

[Sandfly45]

I am new to chickens and have 2 adorable silkies that I hand raised. I just love them so much, especially our snuggles at night watching a movie. Except now they have fleas!!! I am absolutely covered in flea bites. Ive found a few fleas on me after holding them so I know where they're coming from. So, I put some pour on drench on them today but I'm scared to snuggle them again incase it hasn't worked! Is there a fool proof way to make sure the fleas are gone without using myself as a test dummy? How often can I use the pour on drench?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I am new to chickens and have 2 adorable silkies that I hand raised. I just love them so much, especially our snuggles at night watching a movie. Except now they have fleas!!! I am absolutely covered in flea bites. Ive found a few fleas on me after holding them so I know where they're coming from. So, I put some pour on drench on them today but I'm scared to snuggle them again incase it hasn't worked! Is there a fool proof way to make sure the fleas are gone without using myself as a test dummy? How often can I use the pour on drench?

Where do you keep the Silkies? Inside your home all the time or do they live outside?

What was the pour on you used to treat them? Ivermectin or something else?

If they are fleas and you have brought them inside your home, then likely you now have fleas inside and may have to take measure to treat your home too.

Do you happen to have any photos of the silkies and the fleas/bugs that you saw?

 

[Sandfly45]

They live outside in the chook run with 2 other boring chooks and 2 flamboyant turkeys (i put the drench on all of them yesterday). When I bring them inside they don't wander around, they just sit on me so hopefully the fleas are only on me! Here's a photo of the flea and my gorgeous rainbow Silkies

 

[Sandfly45]

The drench is Ivermecton, or cydectin, something like that...

 

[Sandfly45]

I just checked Roxanne, the pink Silkie, and there are still fleas on her, they are alive and not showing any signs of dying.
How long does it take for Cydectin to work? Can I give them another dose?

I also cleaned out the hen house, even though they don't go in there, they prefer to sleep outside in the rain .... fly sprayed every surface and put in new hay

 

[Sandfly45]

I notice that the fleas are not like dog fleas, they are not as quick, and they don't jump. Could they be shiny black lice? Do lice really cover a person in bites like I have?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I honestly don't know what that is, but if you treated with Cydectin within the last few days I would not re-treat this quickly.
Do you see those bugs on the birds or are they just getting on you inside the house? Maybe another pet like a dog or cat has the bugs too?

 

[Sandfly45]

I honestly don't know what that is, but if you treated with Cydectin within the last few days I would not re-treat this quickly.
Do you see those bugs on the birds or are they just getting on you inside the house? Maybe another pet like a dog or cat has the bugs too?

I checked Tootsie (blue silkie) today and she still has the bugs on her. There were a few around her legs, alive and well. Ive come to the conclusion they are not fleas. I wrangled one of these bugs today and put it on a flat surface to observe its behaviour... its reasonably fast moving but definitely doesn't jump, jet black, shiny and doesn't resemble a louse (legs are underneath, not out to the sides)
Cydectin hasn't deterred it, so maybe its not biting the silkies, just catching a ride until it can be delivered to something it can bite (me!!)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It may be better to get a Permethrin spray or dust and treat the coop/housing and the birds too.
While they don't seem to be biting the Silkies, I would want to get rid of them if possible.