South Carolina

[Joycats]

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How would chicks get lice? And wouldn't you treat them both the same way?

Dunno how they might have gotten them, that is why I advised researching them. And I would think you get rid of them the same way but it would be best to research them both and learn about them to see how you can prevent them in the future.

Well....I did my own research and found that lice cannot survive off of their host for more than a few hours. They're also found only on older chickens, not chicks or waterfowl. So I'm pretty certain that what I've had here was mites and I'm pretty certain they came out of the shavings. Quote from Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry - "Lice spend their entire lives on the birds; they will die within a few hours if they leave their host." I find it highly unlikely that chicks hatched in the incubator would have lice, not having ever been in contact with adult birds.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
I treated all my chicks in straight sevin dust and they did ok with it. Some were tiny, only a few days old. They weren't on shavings yet but they were in the same room with the other mite covered chicks so I treated EVERYBODY! I no longer buy shavings from TSC - I've complained time and again about them keeping the shavings outside. The last time I bought shavings from there, I made the guy go halfway down the stack to find a block that didn't have water in it. Still had mites though, so I now buy my shavings down at Coleman's or at Rogers and I still sprinkle sevin dust in with the shavings when I put it in the brooders. I also use plastic boxes in the house for the little chicks. Clean them with bleach and everything. I have no doubt that the mites are coming from the shavings.

Yes, Joy has told me several times to use Sevin! She said it works great for hers and did not harm her babies so I add it to my dust box now. The DE is okay but not as effective, I don't think. If it works for Joy, then I hoped it would work for me, too! The way she explained how she puts it out in her fresh laid coops had me laughing. I could see her covered from head to toe with powder!

Well, most of you may not know that I didn't start with chickens. I started with canaries and finches. I guess I assume that what worked for the tiny finches without harm, should work for chicks also. So far it has. I have always used sevin dust in the canary nests to keep mites away from those tiny chicks. And those canary chicks are about the size of your fingernail, they are really tiny. I also treat my canaries twice a year with ivermectin in the drinking water. It's so much easier than trying to catch every tiny (fast flying) bird and put a drop on them. Not to mention the stress that it causes the birds. Now I just read yesterday where someone has done the same thing with chickens and has had success with it. I've been wondering about it, but didn't want to risk trying it without knowing it wouldn't cause harm. I will try it with my chickens now. AND they say it works for cocci too! Not sure how true that is, but that's what they said. Anyone wanting to read the info themselves can find on Bobbi Porto's website, under "Chicken Care". They used 4 cc/ml INJECTIBLE Ivermectin to 1 gallon of drinking water for 3 days straight. Then repeat in 14 days. Supposedly it kills all external parasites and works on Cocci. It has kept my canaries healthy. As for the DE and Sevin - I use a kitchen sieve to sprinkle birds, perches, nest boxes and coop floors. I get a good treatment myself in the process but it's much faster than catching each individual bird. I do it at night after they go to roost. I also put DE in the food and it works for internal parasites. I find that DE may prevent mites but the sevin KILLS them once they're here.

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Quote:
Yes, Joy has told me several times to use Sevin! She said it works great for hers and did not harm her babies so I add it to my dust box now. The DE is okay but not as effective, I don't think. If it works for Joy, then I hoped it would work for me, too! The way she explained how she puts it out in her fresh laid coops had me laughing. I could see her covered from head to toe with powder!

Well, most of you may not know that I didn't start with chickens. I started with canaries and finches. I guess I assume that what worked for the tiny finches without harm, should work for chicks also. So far it has. I have always used sevin dust in the canary nests to keep mites away from those tiny chicks. And those canary chicks are about the size of your fingernail, they are really tiny. I also treat my canaries twice a year with ivermectin in the drinking water. It's so much easier than trying to catch every tiny (fast flying) bird and put a drop on them. Not to mention the stress that it causes the birds. Now I just read yesterday where someone has done the same thing with chickens and has had success with it. I've been wondering about it, but didn't want to risk trying it without knowing it wouldn't cause harm. I will try it with my chickens now. AND they say it works for cocci too! Not sure how true that is, but that's what they said. Anyone wanting to read the info themselves can find on Bobbi Porto's website, under "Chicken Care". They used 4 cc/ml INJECTIBLE Ivermectin to 1 gallon of drinking water for 3 days straight. Then repeat in 14 days. Supposedly it kills all external parasites and works on Cocci. It has kept my canaries healthy. As for the DE and Sevin - I use a kitchen sieve to sprinkle birds, perches, nest boxes and coop floors. I get a good treatment myself in the process but it's much faster than catching each individual bird. I do it at night after they go to roost. I also put DE in the food and it works for internal parasites. I find that DE may prevent mites but the sevin KILLS them once they're here.

I was excited until I read Injectible. I have the Pour on. That would be much easier! I'm going to change the shavings in the house and add Sevin dust to the new stuff. I don't have any new shavings and can't go out today and get some. The rest will wait until tomorrow I guess!

Joy, what ratio DE to Sevin would you use for chicks? I have both on hand.

 

[Joycats]

Quote:
Well, most of you may not know that I didn't start with chickens. I started with canaries and finches. I guess I assume that what worked for the tiny finches without harm, should work for chicks also. So far it has. I have always used sevin dust in the canary nests to keep mites away from those tiny chicks. And those canary chicks are about the size of your fingernail, they are really tiny. I also treat my canaries twice a year with ivermectin in the drinking water. It's so much easier than trying to catch every tiny (fast flying) bird and put a drop on them. Not to mention the stress that it causes the birds. Now I just read yesterday where someone has done the same thing with chickens and has had success with it. I've been wondering about it, but didn't want to risk trying it without knowing it wouldn't cause harm. I will try it with my chickens now. AND they say it works for cocci too! Not sure how true that is, but that's what they said. Anyone wanting to read the info themselves can find on Bobbi Porto's website, under "Chicken Care". They used 4 cc/ml INJECTIBLE Ivermectin to 1 gallon of drinking water for 3 days straight. Then repeat in 14 days. Supposedly it kills all external parasites and works on Cocci. It has kept my canaries healthy. As for the DE and Sevin - I use a kitchen sieve to sprinkle birds, perches, nest boxes and coop floors. I get a good treatment myself in the process but it's much faster than catching each individual bird. I do it at night after they go to roost. I also put DE in the food and it works for internal parasites. I find that DE may prevent mites but the sevin KILLS them once they're here.

I was excited until I read Injectible. I have the Pour on. That would be much easier! I'm going to change the shavings in the house and add Sevin dust to the new stuff. I don't have any new shavings and can't go out today and get some. The rest will wait until tomorrow I guess!

Joy, what ratio DE to Sevin would you use for chicks? I have both on hand.

Susanne, I have Sevin - 5% and I literally just take a pinch of it and rub it into the chicks feathers, under the wings and all over. I have even taken a plastic dish and put about a 1/4 cup of Sevin in it and rolled the chicks in it, letting them flap about a bit. Then I sort of brush off the extra dust before letting them go. Whatever you find the easiest way. I haven't had it bother any of their respiratory systems yet and that's always my biggest worry. The mites die right away and that's my main goal. I only use the DE as a preventative. When I know there are parasites already, I use straight Sevin. It really works. I hope this answers your question.

I also have to buy some injectible ivermectin, I don't have any either. But I am going to try it now that I know it has worked for somebody else.

 

[dixiebeast]

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Hey what about me?? LOL...I did hatch my first D'uccle chick sunday...and have 3 more going in lockdown tonight!!

 

[pinkwindsong]

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I've been using hay or straw (just depending on which I have at the moment) as brooder bedding. Is that bad? I change it out every week and spray with oxine on the bottom before putting new in. I tried the shavings once, but they smelled pretty musty when the bag was opened so I gave up on that.

Actually hay and straw are more likely to carry mites. They love those shafts where they can get into a small crevice and lay eggs.
Just check your chicks over well, under arm pits,..er....I mean wings, around the vent and they love to lay eggs on the neck and around the face.
I good product and I love the smell, too, is Poultry Protector. I don't use it often as they really hate the fragrance or being wet but when I bring home something new it is sprayed down with it. Just in case.

Sounds like you are doing well to try and keep ahead of them.

i think hay and straws are not as absorbent and I think it smells worse and faster..

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Here is some basic information for everyone on lice and mites.

Lice Mites
Size 2-3 millimeters long 1 millimeter diameter (ground pepper)
Speed Fast-moving Slow-moving
Color Straw-colored (light brown) Dark reddish black
Egg location Base of feather shaft Along feather shaft
Egg color White White or off-white
Best detection time Daytime Nighttime or Daytime
Location Lives only on host Lives on host and in environment

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Hey what about me?? LOL...I did hatch my first D'uccle chick sunday...and have 3 more going in lockdown tonight!!

Wow, 3 more? You are going to love those babies to pieces!

 

[rtda4]

Can someone tell me were I can purchase a good wireless hygrometer?

 

[pinkwindsong]

got a question... I hope you can see what Im talking about in the pictures.....

could this be a old rooster past his prime , instead of the year old bird i was sold.. I can not get weight on him. Ive wormed hes in a cage by himself so that he eats as much as he wants.( and the others cant hurt him because . he has hurt his wing somehow and just holds it down low.. low enough to step on.. I thought he was just sickly but Im thinking he's old.. he has no drive, no rooster habits at all.. and his comb is whitish pink never dark like even my young roosters... he has no sickness sympotms other than no wieght and dull lifeless course feathers.

the other three have gotten healthy their feathers are getting a healthy sheen gaining weight, getting new fancy feathers.. but poor Maximus weighs nothing, is just a rack of bones. I've wormed him 3 times, he no longer has mites.. he has always had long neck feathers like a adult roo. and he has saddle feathers like a adult roo.. he is tall. does not crow, he is not aggressive at all.. for any reason..

I have upped his protein level.. hoping that would help him get weight.. nope..


I won 2 barred rocks.. who were all dull feathers and not in shape they are both shiny and in top condition now..

the other three that I got with this on were supposed to be all girls.. ( I know better now lesson learned) anyway.. Earl is getting nice and heavy good feathers coming in nice and silky smooth.. Darcy is very tall and filing in nicely I think He will be a beautiful rooster next year, hes getting his big boy feathers as well as earl is.. but not Maximus ??? he always had big boy feathers. ??

any ideas or thoughts?