Treating Broody for lice?

[Animalian]

I noticed little black things on my hands after candling the eggs under my broody the other night, I assumed they were mites so bought some "pestene" the next day and, while she was off the nest, replaced all the bedding and put the pestene through the new bedding. Sprinkled it all through the coop and then caught everybody and dusted them all individually.

Is this enough or do I need to re-treat?
Was this ok to do to my broody/her nest?

I only ask because the instructions were a little vague, just how to apply, and nill egg with-holding. Plus this is my first broody on eggs, she's on day 10 if that affects anything...

 

[dawg53]

You did everything correctly. You'll need to redust everything again in 10 days, including your chickens to kill lice/mites hatched from eggs since the first dusting.

 

[terryg]

Just to be clear - what you have are MITES. (you say "mites" in your post, but "lice" is on the topic.) Lice are soft-bodied and live on the hen at all times. Mites spend the days in the wood of the coop and roost and come out at night. Mites suck blood. Lice eat dead skin/feathers, etc. Mites are like pinheads and dark. LIce are light and elongated. Very different treatments for the two. For photos of lice, see my blog:
http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2008/05/lice/
http://www.hencam.com/henblog/2010/05/of-lice-and-hens/

 

[Animalian]

Sorry didn't realise I did that. They are mites.

I've come across them before my aviary birds but used a spray for them.I'm just new to using a powder and using when someone is broody.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't know what the active ingredient is in Pestene. Even without knowing that, I'd do exactly like you did and repeat in about 7 or 8 days since you are on day ten of the hatch. Re-treat a bit before hatch. I would not want to disturb the broody in the middle of active hatching and some can hatch a bit early, even under a broody.

Not all mites live part time off the hen like TerryG described. Roost mites do but fowl mites and some other types of mites do not. From what you described, I suspect they are roost mites, but maybe not. Either way, I'd still treat all of them and the coop the same way. I'd also suggest you look at your roosts and treat them if it is roost mites. Plus check out the rest of your coop. Roost mites hide in nooks and crannies during the day and attack at night. A favorite place to hide is in cracks and crevices in wooden roosts. You may need to spray instead of use a powder or maybe coat the roosts with some type of oil to smother them. Some people use burned motor oil, some mineral oil. I would not use any type of vegetable oil for concern it would turn rancid or go moldy.

I once spoke to a professor that teaches poultry disease and medicine at the state university about this. He said that roost mites kill more broodies than any other cause. I'm glad you found them and treated them.

I also asked him about eating eggs right after treatment with Sevin, which has Carboryl as the active ingredient. He said there is no withdrawal period for us eating the eggs, even if you dust the nest pretty heavily. I skip a day anyway just on general principle, but from that I would say it will not hurt the hatching eggs at all. With the known risk from the mites, I am conviced you should treat and re-treat.

Good luck!