Two week old chicks with lice

[xtetra]

Thanks for all the responses and the links.

OK, this is a total nube question, but when people say they "dust" their chickens they never really elaborate on how they do that. Do you put your Sevin dust or whatever you prefer to use in some thing that looks like a bike pump and spray the dust on them like in the cartoons? Do you just shake DE or Sevin or whatever on the birds right from the container? Put it in a sifter/seiv and give it a tap and let the dust fall through onto your birds? Put it on your fingers and rub it on them?

How much is enough? Does it vary with product? (DE vs Sevin for instance) I thought all that stuff was bad to breathe in...so how is it that the bird don't suffer when you dust them?

Again, sorry, may seem obvious to some of you but this is all new to me.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks for all the responses and the links.

OK, this is a total nube question, but when people say they "dust" their chickens they never really elaborate on how they do that. Do you put your Sevin dust or whatever you prefer to use in some thing that looks like a bike pump and spray the dust on them like in the cartoons? Do you just shake DE or Sevin or whatever on the birds right from the container? Put it in a sifter/seiv and give it a tap and let the dust fall through onto your birds? Put it on your fingers and rub it on them?

How much is enough? Does it vary with product? (DE vs Sevin for instance) I thought all that stuff was bad to breathe in...so how is it that the bird don't suffer when you dust them?

Again, sorry, may seem obvious to some of you but this is all new to me.

For a full grown chicken; use a paper bag or old pillow case, dump a bunch of sevin dust in it. Put the chicken in the bag with its head sticking out the top. Close the top of the bag with one hand around the chickens neck so the chicken can breathe. The rest of its body will be inside the bag. Then gently "shake and bake" ensuring the bird is fully covered with sevin dust except from the neck up. Remove the bird from the bag, put a little sevin dust on your fingers and rub it on and around the neck/head area ensuring you dont get of the dust in the eyes or nostrils. Then release the bird, it'll shake itself off and go about its business. Wear old chicken clothes/shoes and a mask.

 

[xtetra]

Thanks. Any suggestions for dusting the chicks safely though?

 

[BlazeJester]

Smaller paper bag (lunch sized).

 

[klmclain1]

I'd be interested in a link to the afore mentioned study (talked about by the nurse) regarding ivermectin working on chicken lice?

 

[xtetra]

Oh they're gonna hate me after that. LoL

I have to say, I knew that DE was nasty to the lungs. The guy at the store insisted it wasn't b/c there are no chemicals in it. I could tell this was one of those times I'd be wasting my time and breath making my point. I guess by his way of looking at it, poison ivy...being natural and all...is perfectly harmless b/c there are no chemicals in it. Wasn't sure that I would use it on the chicks but I would use it around the veg garden so I did buy it anyway.

He also told me you can use a few table spoons in your feeder to de-worm them. I don't think they have worms so at the moment that is not an issue, but for future reference is he correct about that? I'm kind of skeptical about anything this guy says.

 

[xtetra]

Scratch that like an itchy chicken....I'm VERY skeptical about anything that guy says!

 

[klmclain1]

DE is pretty worthless. Doesn't kill worms. I have this picture in my mind of these itty bitty chicks in the itty bitty paper sacks with their little heads poking out!

Yes, you will be persona non grata!

<------ chicks

 

[dawg53]

Thanks. Any suggestions for dusting the chicks safely though?

Put a little sevin dust on your fingers and gently rub it onto their fluff/skin as best as you can, avoid the eyes and nostrils.

 

[dawg53]

Oh they're gonna hate me after that. LoL

I have to say, I knew that DE was nasty to the lungs. The guy at the store insisted it wasn't b/c there are no chemicals in it. I could tell this was one of those times I'd be wasting my time and breath making my point. I guess by his way of looking at it, poison ivy...being natural and all...is perfectly harmless b/c there are no chemicals in it. Wasn't sure that I would use it on the chicks but I would use it around the veg garden so I did buy it anyway.

He also told me you can use a few table spoons in your feeder to de-worm them. I don't think they have worms so at the moment that is not an issue, but for future reference is he correct about that? I'm kind of skeptical about anything this guy says.

I'm glad you are skeptical about the guy at the feed store!