The Lice Came Back!

[Carolminifarm]

Please let me know what I did wrong with my treatment!

Two months ago I noticed nits on the underbelly of most of my flock. I blame wild magpies hanging out in their run. I’ve fixed that problem so no more maggies.

I treated the 19 chickens by bathing them in water with an enzymatic poultry shampoo, sprayed them with liquid permethrin, cleaned out their coop, sprayed every nook and cranny in the coop with permethrin, replaced their bedding, and dusted the bedding with permethrin powder.

Then every seven days for the next three weeks I followed up with spraying the hot spots on the chickens with permethrin, and dusting the coop with permethrin powder.

I read up that Elector PSP is a one-and-done, so I bought it because I was tired of the weekly treatments on my flock.

At the fourth week I cleaned out the coop again, bathed all the chickens in warm water and a dash of poultry shampoo, and sprayed them AND the entire coop and run with Elector PSP.

As of yesterday half of them still had what looked like fresh nits, some had adult lice, and three of them have bald patches on their behinds. Three different ones have bald patches on their throats. With no pin feathers in sight. Just wrinkly skin.

What did I do wrong? How do I help my flock?

I know the permethrin and Elector PSP worked because for weeks there were dead or dying flies in the coop.

Dust them with DE. Dust the coop, there favorite bath spots also. Do this a few times a year. No chemicals, safe for girls and eggs.

 

[Debbie292d]

Dust them with DE. Dust the coop, there favorite bath spots also. Do this a few times a year. No chemicals, safe for girls and eggs.

We just DE the coops once or twice a month as a deterrent, and that keeps outbreaks from occurring. If someone does have an outbreak, the chickens will be suffering by the time DE kills them. Something stronger should be used to zap them out immediately. Permethrin powder/garden powder is the cheapest and most used.

 

[Gramma Chick]

This is in my Chicken file


The Chicken Mite is a nocturnal mite that is primarily a warm weather pest. These mites suck the blood from the birds at night and then hide in the cracks and crevices of the houses during the day. Chicken Mites are dark brown or black, much like the Northern Fowl Mite.

The life cycle of mites can be as little as 10 days, which allows for a
Figure 2
Figure 2. Mites and eggs along the feather shaft.
quick turnover and heavy infestations. Mites can be transferred between flocks by crates, clothing, and wild birds. Mites are capable of living in the environment and off the host bird for a period of time. Diagnoses of mite infestations are similar to that of lice; however since mites can live off the bird and some are nocturnal, inspect birds and housing facilities at night especially if you suspect that the Chicken Mite is the cause of the infestation. Observable signs may include darkening of the feathers on white feathered birds due to mite feces; scabbing of the skin near the vent; mite eggs on the fluff feathers and along the feather shaft (Figure 2); or congregations of mites around the vent, ventral abdomen, tail, or throat. Since mites congregate around the ventral region, they can also reduce a rooster’s ability of successful matings.
Flock Symptoms

Flocks infested with lice or mites show similar general symptoms. Birds will have decreased egg production; decreased weight gain; decreased carcass-grading quality; increased disease susceptibility; and decreased food intake. If any of these generalized symptoms are observed, a visual evaluation is recommended. Inspect birds around the ventral region for signs of lice or mites since infestations usually start in this area of the bird.
Treatments

Sanitation and cleanliness are the keys to lice and mite control. Sanitation includes cleaning and disinfecting housing facilities and equipment between flocks. Moreover, reducing people traffic through housing facilities is recommended. Eliminating the contact between flocks and wild birds can reduce the potential transfer of external parasites. Chemical control can include the use of carbaryl (Sevin®). Treat the walls, floors, roosts, nest boxes, and the birds simultaneously. When dusting an entire house, be careful to avoid feed contamination. One treatment method for small flocks or individual birds is the use of a dusting bath with Sevin®. Place the bird into a garbage bag containing the medicated powder with the birds’ head out and rotate/shake the bag to completely cover the bird with powder. Be sure not to inhale the medicated powder during treatments. The use of a facial mask is recommended to prevent inhaling this medicated powder. Because the life cycle of lice and mites is. approximately 2 weeks, treatments should be repeated every 2 weeks as needed. Carefully read all labels prior to treatment to make sure withdrawal times are followed for food-producing poultry. Severe lice or mite infestations can be treated initially with a kitten strength dose of a pyrethrin-based medicated spray on the birds to reduce the initial numbers. If problems persist, contact a veterinarian for treatment with such medications as Ivermectin�. Prevention is the best method of treatment. For poultry used in exhibition or for new poultry entering the flock, a minimum quarantine period of 2 weeks is recommended. During this time birds should be physically examined and treated if necessary.