Yep, it's definitely the common lice. They were running about all over her. Poor love. She is an ex-commercial hybrid from a free range farm. About 3 years old. Interestingly I read that they are more prone to them if they are de-beaked, as they cannot preen themselves properly, which all of mine are (came that way, I am not evil). I can see how the lice might be a secondary problem to something else. Hopefully we can clear them up quickly though and then investigate further if she is still unwell. I also read somewhere on the web (so not neccesarily true) that lice can do harm and make them unwell, as they feel so uncomfortable and miserable with them that it stops them from eating properly, which then leads to mucky bums, malnourishment etc. With the number she has on her, I expect she is feeling very itchy and miserable indeed! She seems no better this morning, I guess the xeno won't have taken affect yet. It is ivermectin based. Any idea how long it takes for it to kill the buggers?
I will definitely dust the ducks with diatom when it arrives too. They are easy enough to catch, so may as well. It's dusting the rooster that will be the fun part! It will be good for him though, hopefully put him in his place a bit. He has taken to attacking me recently, full on jumping on my head style, despite repeatedly being threatened with the oven. If he draws blood, it's curtains!