URGENT!! Bugs on my hen! How do I get rid of them?

[ChxLadyCass]

While examine my hens vent to see if she was laying, I noticed a TON of little brown bugs crawling in her feathers deep down near her skin. I want to get rid of these ASAP!!! Live or mites, I don't so much care what they are but want to get rid of them today! Help!! I am so desperate now

 

[peopleRanimals2]

First, calm down. You should check the rest of your flock for them, and then you should try to determine what kind of bug it is. Different bugs need different remedies.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html
this is a really good article that you should read.

 

[ChxLadyCass]

Thank you! Heading to the supply store now. It looks like Electir treats both according to the article. The bugs I saw were bigger than the more photos and easier to see than the lice photos. I am also worried for myself and my kid if they are lice. Are poultry lice contagious to humans?

 

[peopleRanimals2]

Your welcome!

In the article, it says they aren't contagious. I'm glad you found a solution.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Good luck,
-M

 

[ChxLadyCass]

All they had at the store was permethrin dust. I dusted one hen and now she is preening. Is that bad? I am going to wait to do the others (if they even have them) at night while they roost

 

[peopleRanimals2]

It seems like a normal reaction. You should check to see if the others have them, which they probably will (Mites spread very fast), just to know. It sounds like a good idea to dust them at night, though.

 

[ChxLadyCass]

I caught most of the girls today and got them dusted. I missed a few including the rooster but got one more when I went in tonight. I am going to try again tomorrow. I'm wondering if the hens I bought at auction brought them in. None of them have bugs but maybe they are carrying eggs. I will keep this up for a few weeks!

 

[peopleRanimals2]

Yeah, makes sense if you don't really know where they came from. Well, good luck and I'm glad it wasn't anything too serious.

 

[aart]

I caught most of the girls today and got them dusted. I missed a few including the rooster but got one more when I went in tonight. I am going to try again tomorrow. I'm wondering if the hens I bought at auction brought them in. None of them have bugs but maybe they are carrying eggs. I will keep this up for a few weeks!

It can be easier to dust them, or at least catch them, after dark off the roost.
Definitely dust every bird, especially the cock/erel as he can spread them to all the girls.
Wait 7-10 days to reapply the dust...then wait again and look to see if there are any left to apply a 3rd time.
No sense in over-dusting them.

Did you see any egg clusters at the base of feather shafts?

 

[casportpony]

Thank you! Heading to the supply store now. It looks like Electir treats both according to the article. The bugs I saw were bigger than the more photos and easier to see than the lice photos. I am also worried for myself and my kid if they are lice. Are poultry lice contagious to humans?

Elector does treat lice and mites, but it's ~$140, and it has to be ordered. I saw that you already bought the permethrin dust, which will work, and it's something I use, but you may also want to buy an 8 ounce bottle of permethrin spray to your coop, perches and nesting boxes. It can also be used on chickens, horses, cattle, dogs, etc, but *cannot be used on cats*.

Poultry lice live on poultry, so don't worry about getting them.

Poultry mixing instructions - 5 ml (one teaspoon) Gordon's to 32 ounces (one quart) of water

http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/gordons-permethrin-10-livestock-premise-spray-8-fl-oz