Solid stones at base of feathers near vent

[Mark Park]

That Frontline they put on a dog's neck in England will work too. Our vet in the uk recommended it to me once. Assuming you aren't eating the eggs.

 

[Charlotte D]

@Charlotte D - I am in the UK and you could look for 'Johnson's Anti Mite Extra for Cage Birds and Pigeons'.

It's the only bird-safe spray I've found here which has permethrin in. Not for chickens but best option I have found.

Thank you - can you advise on dosage and egg withdrawal period, please?

 

[Painted Calls]

That is unusual

I have friends that have chickens the same age.

It's not unusual at all to have a chicken (as long as it's not a production hybrid or meat bird) live to at least 7 years. You just have to take proper care of them.

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I have friends that have chickens the same age.

It's not unusual at all to have a chicken (as long as it's not a production hybrid or meat bird) live to at least 7 years. You just have to take proper care of them.

X2


A healthy, well cared for bird should live for at least 5 years, if predators or illnesses don’t take it first. Production hybrids and meat birds will live at most half of that, with meat birds normally only living a couple months.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thank you - can you advise on dosage and egg withdrawal period, please?

Since it's not licensed for poultry in the UK, I don't have a definitive answer to this question and have used my own thoughts on this and accepted the risk. The dosage says 3 - 5 sprays for a large bird (ie. large pigeon) so I have usually gone for around 8 - 10 sprays on a hen.

I ~think~ that some permethrin products for poultry in other countries have no egg withdrawal period but studies show that permethrin peaks in the eggs around 7 days after treatment, as far as I recall. We have carried on eating the eggs from our chickens since we do not sell them and have them for our own use.

I'm sorry not to give you an exact answer but that's the best I can do. I use permethrin-based lice powder (actually designed for horse stables) in the coop and on the perches but do not apply this directly to the chickens, since it wasn't made to go directly onto the animals. It is very frustrating that we don't have permethrin products for poultry here as it is the only thing which seems to help in our case.

Edited to add: I have also tried Harka-Mectin (Ivermectin for pigeons) but have not had much success with that. Perhaps I haven't dosed highly enough but it's guesswork and overdosing that makes me more nervous than the permethrin spray!

 

[Charlotte D]

Since it's not licensed for poultry in the UK, I don't have a definitive answer to this question and have used my own thoughts on this and accepted the risk. The dosage says 3 - 5 sprays for a large bird (ie. large pigeon) so I have usually gone for around 8 - 10 sprays on a hen.

I ~think~ that some permethrin products for poultry in other countries have no egg withdrawal period but studies show that permethrin peaks in the eggs around 7 days after treatment, as far as I recall. We have carried on eating the eggs from our chickens since we do not sell them and have them for our own use.

I'm sorry not to give you an exact answer but that's the best I can do. I use permethrin-based lice powder (actually designed for horse stables) in the coop and on the perches but do not apply this directly to the chickens, since it wasn't made to go directly onto the animals. It is very frustrating that we don't have permethrin products for poultry here as it is the only thing which seems to help in our case.

Edited to add: I have also tried Harka-Mectin (Ivermectin for pigeons) but have not had much success with that. Perhaps I haven't dosed highly enough but it's guesswork and overdosing that makes me more nervous than the permethrin spray!

Thank you for this info, @HollyWoozle , much appreciated. I share your frustration, it seems to regularly be the case for poultry unfortunately, which is why it's great to have super helpful people like you on forums like this. I guess poultry must be considered to be fairly disposable unfortunately in lots of quarters and just not worth running the trials. Very sad.

 

[aart]

I guess poultry must be considered to be fairly disposable unfortunately in lots of quarters and just not worth running the trials.

Reason is, my guess, commercial poultry houses don't need insecticides, so they aren't tested like other chemicals/drugs.

Another thought,
permethrin is the main ingredient in human head lice treatments.
Not sure if there are other chemicals too, but have heard it suggested here.
Might be worth looking into.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That is unusual

I wouldn't say so. I've had some in that ball park and a friend of mine has too

 

[HollyWoozle]

Another thought,
permethrin is the main ingredient in human head lice treatments.
Not sure if there are other chemicals too, but have heard it suggested here.
Might be worth looking into.

Why did I never think of this?! I think many head lice products here have taken permethrin out as they worry the lice are becoming resistant, but there are some products for scabies which still includes it (and probably some head lice products still too). Great suggestion!

 

[aart]

Why did I never think of this?! I think many head lice products here have taken permethrin out as they worry the lice are becoming resistant, but there are some products for scabies which still includes it (and probably some head lice products still too). Great suggestion!

Just look closely for other ingredients.
Shouldn't be too hard on a product for humans,
everything should be listed on the box, insert, or online.