Technique for dusting chickens

[Sussex19]

I'm in the process of treating for lice, using a pyrethrum and sulphur dust.
How do you go about dusting them?
It seems very hard getting it under the the feathers, in the moment I'm resting them on their sides, and parting a patch of feathers.
This means that it goes on in patches, so I'm not sure its getting on all the lice.

 

[Ozarkoak]

What I did when I dusted for mites was I used a cat litter box with a lid, and dusted the birds generously inside the litter box, working it into the feathers best I could. So when I released them they'd shake right after, and the dust cloud of pesticide would redistribute itself on each bird inside the box.

For some reason it reminded me of the old shake and bake commercial. Put them in and give em a shake

 

[Folly's place]

And wear your N95 dust mask while doing all this!

 

[rosemarythyme]

What I did when I dusted for mites was I used a cat litter box with a lid, and dusted the birds generously inside the litter box, working it into the feathers best I could. So when I released them they'd shake right after, and the dust cloud of pesticide would redistribute itself on each bird inside the box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

And wear your N95 dust mask while doing all this!

Gloves too!

 

[aart]

I'm in the process of treating for lice, using a pyrethrum and sulphur dust.
How do you go about dusting them?
It seems very hard getting it under the the feathers, in the moment I'm resting them on their sides, and parting a patch of feathers.
This means that it goes on in patches, so I'm not sure its getting on all the lice.

That should work, concentrate on the areas around the vent, under the wings, on the belly, around the neck. A pinch or two in each place should work.
You'll need to repeat in 5-7 days to get any newly hatched.

 

[SpiritWolf]

I'm in the process of treating for lice, using a pyrethrum and sulphur dust.
How do you go about dusting them?
It seems very hard getting it under the the feathers, in the moment I'm resting them on their sides, and parting a patch of feathers.
This means that it goes on in patches, so I'm not sure its getting on all the lice.

I use Diatomaceous Earth for dusting my chickens. I just put a pile of it in the area I see them taking a dirt bath. It's also what I use on red ants, roaches and for fleas and ticks on puppies and kittens under 8 weeks old. It's one of the best things I've for getting rid of the pest.

 

[raingarden]

Does the dust go through the sock? It seem a bit hard to imagine that it would.

Old sock, new sock, red sock, blue sock. They all work. When you pat them it makes a cloud of powder. Much better than trying to throw powder up under their wings and having the powder clump and fall to the ground.

I can't believe nobody else does this. It has been standard practice when dusting any animal for generations

 

[Clucktown]

I have tried, but the feathers still block the dust from reaching the skin.
I did some more recently, and ended up holding the hens upside down until they calm down, and then kneeling down and holding their legs between my knees.
This let me have my hands free for parting the feathers and dusting.
I'm still thinking of how to improve it, however!

It is difficult for chickens to breath when being held upside down.

 

[Sussex19]

What I did when I dusted for mites was I used a cat litter box with a lid, and dusted the birds generously inside the litter box, working it into the feathers best I could. So when I released them they'd shake right after, and the dust cloud of pesticide would redistribute itself on each bird inside the box.

This sounds good, except that I don't have an enclosed litter box.
Could one use a cardboard box or something in stead?