The Old Folks Home

[getaclue]

Alaskan, I have said it many times on these forums that one of the easiest, cheapest, safest, and fast acting methods to treat an infestation is Sevin dust. They sell 3 containers in a bundle at both Wal Mart, and Home Depot. I used to use an old pillow case, pour the dust in, hold the opening closed around the chicken's neck, don't cover the head, support the bird, and do a shake & bake. I found it to be much easier to just get a good sized pan, or shallow bucket, pour the dust in, set the bird in, and scoop it onto the bird. REPEAT in 10 days. I also like to mix liquid Sevin and lightly spray the roosts, empty nest boxes, and poop boards. The key with Sevin is to REPEAT in 10 days. Yes, I've read about all the organic ways to do it, but I personally won't use most of them. Either they are very harsh on the skin, or they don't work. There are a couple that might be a good preventative, but are failures for treating an actual infestation. Chemically, it's safer than a lot of the other stuff that I see recommended. It's not strong enough to kill the bug eggs, and there is not enough residue to kill the hatchling bugs, which is why it has to be repeated in 10 days.

 

[chickadoodles]

Not much going on here today. Hair cuts, selling brooders and eggs. college football.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Hmmm it seems like you did that last year.... The whole clean up frenzy.

deb

Mine is mid-October. Usually takes the whole weekend of cleaning up the yard frenzy. If you miss something, it stays til April.

It was such a horror... Trying to get chickens off of the roosts without waking up the rest... Because I NEEDED the silly things to stay where they were.. Waiting in line so that I would be sure to get all of them.

I use a red head lamp before dawn. It takes me about 90 minutes to do all my birds so I go out 90 minutes early. I leave the pop door unlocked, but pushed shut. I grab them off the roost (or floor or nesting box) one by one, treat, and then push the pop door open and throw their butts outside then close the pop door back up. They just sit there on the ground outside the coop because it's dark. They will cluck about the indignity of it, but that's about it. No one tries to get back inside to lay or eat or annoy me. When I'm done it's just about time for them to start getting up, anyway, and they go about their day. It's easy and works for me.

PLEASE don't tell me to get a second toxin to add to my first toxin.

Here's another option - and it is NOT approved for use on chickens (or anything but mammals) but I use it and IT WORKS. Caveat: I have not had lice, yet. Get a spray bottle of Frontline for dogs and cats. Lift each off the roost. It's 1 spray per pound of bird, approximately. You have to part the feathers and spray on the bare skin. I do it on the back of the neck, under the wings and under the vent. I then throw the birds out of the coop. The nasties start to die almost immediately and are all dead within 48 hours... fresh hatchlings also die when they come into contact with the medication. This does not kill eggs. You'll need to repeat in 28 days. Or not... I had a bad mite infestation after The Great Wild Guinea Visit of 2014 and I did not have to repeat the treatment. You also don't have to make sure that the coop is pristine (still clean it) because when the nasties come into contact with the Frontline on the birds, it kills them. I also believe while lice don't feed on your birds (so won't cause anemia) they also live their entire life cycle on the bird, so cleaning the coop isn't that important with lice over mites.
You could also use ivermectin pour on. I had mites that were resistant to that, and went to Frontline from there. Ivermectin is actually used as a human drug and I ate the eggs after treatment with it.
In order to get gynecomastia you'd need longer term exposure to medications, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.
Lastly, I got a free covered (turtle) sandbox off craigslist or freecycle or the dump swap (can't recall) and I put a couple bags of play sand in it, a bag of DE and some wood ash from the stove. I shovel out to it all winter and open it up for the birds when the weather permits. This helps knock down the nasties. Our ground is too frozen in winter for them to dust bathe effectively, and the sand box is a giant hit.

 

[ronott1]

@ronott1 This is poultry lice...

First and second treatment how far apart?

What do I do about the egg clusters on feathers on my hens? A few hens have eggs on all of the feathers on their belly... LOTS of feathers.


Should I toss this highly toxic dust all over the coop???? Poop trays, nest boxes, and dust pile?


PLEASE don't tell me to get a second toxin to add to my first toxin.

The reason for the two treatments ten days apart is to kill any that hatch from the eggs. You cannot kill the eggs and you will not be able to pick them all off.

The Spinosad is to use next time you have to treat. Hopefully you will get them this time. Note: Use permethrin both times this time. I am saying to use something different in a month or so if the lice come back.

Read up on resistance in parasites caused by using the same medicine every time. Basically some will live eventually and will pass that resistance on to their offspring. Using a second medicine, and using it alone, alternating not at the same time will help with resistance.

You have options for the litter, one being to use Food grade DE. Others use Neem oil.

Remember, the permethrin is highly toxic to bugs, not chickens.

 

[ronott1]

Not much going on here today. Hair cuts, selling brooders and eggs. college football.

Sounds like my day! I will not be selling things but will be getting a hair cut, cleaning and doing the grocery shopping for the week. I already finished the menu so I am ahead.

 

[Cynthia12]

Alaskan, I have said it many times on these forums that one of the easiest, cheapest, safest, and fast acting methods to treat an infestation is Sevin dust. They sell 3 containers in a bundle at both Wal Mart, and Home Depot. I used to use an old pillow case, pour the dust in, hold the opening closed around the chicken's neck, don't cover the head, support the bird, and do a shake & bake. I found it to be much easier to just get a good sized pan, or shallow bucket, pour the dust in, set the bird in, and scoop it onto the bird. REPEAT in 10 days. I also like to mix liquid Sevin and lightly spray the roosts, empty nest boxes, and poop boards. The key with Sevin is to REPEAT in 10 days. Yes, I've read about all the organic ways to do it, but I personally won't use most of them. Either they are very harsh on the skin, or they don't work. There are a couple that might be a good preventative, but are failures for treating an actual infestation. Chemically, it's safer than a lot of the other stuff that I see recommended. It's not strong enough to kill the bug eggs, and there is not enough residue to kill the hatchling bugs, which is why it has to be repeated in 10 days.

You're the one that I learned the shake and bake from..only I used a bag. That was hard for me. I like the seven though, I sprinkle it in the next boxes and on roosts every now and again. When I see mites on the birds, , I use the mite spray that you can buy from the pet store. Yep. Works great! A squirt on the vent area, on the flanks, on the tummy, behind the neck, on front of neck, under the wings. Gets the egg sacs if I see any. I just soak those. It's the mite spray for leg mites, for your in home pet bird..canary, parakeet, ....and outside chickens!

 

[Cynthia12]

Oh, I know someone that uses the Frontline all the time. Well, twice a yr. The same stuff for dogs. Just a drop behind the neck, that's it. I have to try it!

 

[Latestarter]

Wish I was organized enough to plan out a weekly menu and then shop for it, and then of paramount importance... stick to it!

Just not gonna happen

Good on ya!

 

[Latestarter]

All this chatting about lice and mites is making me itchy... Glad I haven't had to deal with either... yet.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'm representing our BYC meetup group at the Dogtown Sustainable Living Festival from noon to 5.
I'll have a lot of chicken books to show, a huge box of new Acres USA and Backyard Poultry magazines to give away and flyers for my upcoming winterizing coops class.
I also have to treat a rooster I discovered has bumblefoot.