Treating Lice... Please Help

[wornoutmomto3]

I have been fighting an unknown illness in the flock. It appears, now, to be complications due to a lice infestation among the flock. I always keep some fresh dust bathing dirt for them, but they haven't been using it. Now all of the birds are infested. I have tried diatomaceous earth but I worry about respiratory issues. One person I talked to the other day suggested covering the run with a dusting of sulfur. I just don't know if that is safe or not. Please help.

 

[Judy]

5% Sevin garden spray on the coop (don't neglect the underside of the roosts) and dust on the chickens; change out the litter, and repeat in 10 days. Or use Permectrin II or Ravap EC.which it is said do not have a residual and don't have to be redone in 10 days. Pyrethrins and premethrins will also kill.

DE may have a little knockdown, or not, but it will not control an infestation.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

 

[wornoutmomto3]

I heard Sevin is toxic to chickens. Are you sure?

 

[seminolewind]

5% Sevin garden spray on the coop (don't neglect the underside of the roosts) and dust on the chickens; change out the litter, and repeat in 10 days. Or use Permectrin II or Ravap EC.which it is said do not have a residual and don't have to be redone in 10 days. Pyrethrins and premethrins will also kill.

DE may have a little knockdown, or not, but it will not control an infestation.

http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

X2. Sevin is the most common to use on lice and bugs.

 

[Judy]

Sevin has become a bit controversial, but has been used by a number of people for years, including me.

Feed stores often carry "poultry dust," which is usually a permethri/pyrethrin product, which will also work fine. For spraying the coop, if you want to avoid Sevin, you can use Adams flea and tick spray, sold in walmart and many other places -- it is sold for dogs.

If I didn't have anthing but DE, I'd probably try to find the permectrin II or Ravap EC because they leave a residual so you don't have to retreat in 10 days. See post 5:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/818674/are-these-some-kind-of-egg-clusters#post_11897957

DE works great on garden worms, like broccoli worms and tomato hormworms.