Treating a large flock for lice

[SarahGfa]

One rooster has a bad case of lice. I poured a cup of permethrin dust on him and spent an hour massaging it through his feathers. About 40-50 yellow lice fell out, mostly from his head. SO GROSS.

I have 10% liquid permethrin and treated the coop already.

Now I am reading that I have to treat everybody?? Can I just dump some permethrin powder in the dust bath area and let them medicate themselves? If I powder them by hand, do I have to coat every bit? Will the lice get killed even if not directly covered?

Thank you for your help

 

[Wyorp Rock]

It would be a good idea to treat the rest of the flock.

A quick way to dust a bird is to put some of the dust in a sock, then use it like a powder puff and tap it all over the bird. Move the feathers about with one hand and tap the powder on, then work the powder in. You should be able to do a bird in several minutes. If you have a helper you can get the job done more quickly.

Remember to repeat dusting in 5-7 day intervals to break the cycle.

 

[SarahGfa]

OK so I can't just mix it into their dustbath and let them do it themselves? I also have turkeys so I was trying to find a shortcut, lol.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

OK so I can't just mix it into their dustbath and let them do it themselves? I also have turkeys so I was trying to find a shortcut, lol.

I guess you can, but will they even dust bath in the area you where you apply the Permethrin dust?

I understand, but sometimes shortcuts make more work later on.
Dusting each bird individually, ensures that all have been treated.

 

[Sussex19]

When I tried putting Permethrin dust in a dust bath, all the chickens shot off saying that i had put something nasty in there. So that was fail!

 

[SarahGfa]

I guess you can, but will they even dust bath in the area you where you apply the Permethrin dust?

I understand, but sometimes shortcuts make more work later on.
Dusting each bird individually, ensures that all have been treated.

It is rainy and muddy here, so they dust bathe in the only dry spot they can find... under the coop.

When I tried putting Permethrin dust in a dust bath, all the chickens shot off saying that i had put something nasty in there. So that was fail!

They did that at first, but eventually it swirled into the dirt so it did not look so scary.

I am slowly dusting every chicken, and plan to spray the turkeys. They are not really the power-puff type.