Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Lice  (Read 4789 times)

Notasausage

  • Joined Feb 2013
Lice
« on: May 05, 2015, 08:34:12 pm »
All but one of our 7 hens now have masses of lice eggs at the base of the feathers around their vent area. They are in a plastic house that is cleaned and hosed out weekly and are free range. Their nesting box of choice is in a stable with some straw. We have been dousing them with diatom powder periodically and tried ivermectin from our vet which did nothing. Can anyone suggest a strategy for getting this under control?

HesterF

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Kent
  • HesterF
Re: Lice
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2015, 12:21:31 am »
I think Ivermectin is more used for worms? Our vet recommends anything with Permethrin as the active ingredient. You can buy dusting powders over the counter (Johnsons do one for cage birds) and that's worked for me.

Clarebelle

  • Joined Jan 2013
  • Orkney
Re: Lice
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2015, 08:36:23 am »
we noticed a problem with lice on our birds so i started dusting the perch and nest box with DE powder everyday. This seems to have bought it under control, they still have a few but i dont think you'd ever be able to eradicate them. I poo pick daily so throwing a bit of DE powder around every morning isnt a big deal

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Lice
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2015, 09:47:49 am »
Our boy had them last year but not any of the girls although I feared that he would spread them.


We pricked out the lice nest infested feathers - the egg sack is glued to the base of the feathers - and burned them. Otherwise you won't break the cycle of breeding lice easily. In addition I use Diatom dusted on the skin and barrier powder in the house. He wasn't too happy having some feathers pulled but it was worth  the trouble.

Caroline1

  • Joined Nov 2014
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Lice
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2015, 01:35:17 pm »
I have always used Barrier Livestock powder on the chickens and shaken in their house. That and a bit of live chicken plucking on the worst looking feathers that have a lot of eggs on normally does the trick.
________
Caroline

Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Lice
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2015, 03:06:15 pm »
Use a permethrin-based powder around the vent and under the wings if there are nits there.  You need to use it weekly for three weeks to kill the various stages of louse development on the birds.  Dusting the house has little effect as lice live on the birds, unlike red mite which spend the day in crevices in the house.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Lice
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2015, 05:15:02 pm »
I used Battles louse powder with good success on my flock, 1 dusting and all were gone. It's not strictly meant to be used directly on hens but works very well, the active ingredient is permethrin.

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Lice
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2015, 08:13:30 pm »
Johnsons do a handy anti-mite spray for small animals and birds-its pyrethrum based. Works a treat on lice with a few pumps under each wing periodically.


Ivermectin should work (I've used it for a persistent case of scaly leg) but it will only work on lice feeding on your hens at the time-which is why its no good for red mite-plus there's the egg withdrawal. If you have an infestation, treat the whole flock three times at weekly intervals ( with whatever you decide to use) to make sure you get all of them, including any eggs due to hatch. TBH I think DE is completely useless for anything, we have colonies of house dust mite, sheep scab mite and poultry red mite at work and we've tried it-does nothing to them at all.

Louise Gaunt

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Lice
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2015, 10:29:32 pm »
What exactly is the egg withdrawal time for ivermectin? I have seen several sites advising that eggs can never be sold for human consumption after ivermectin treatment. I ask because I think my hens have depluming mite. We are currently bathing them once a week with dog flea shampoo, which is beginning to work, i.e. their feathers seem to be regrowing, but if this fails I may need to consider ivermectin.

HesterF

  • Joined Jul 2012
  • Kent
  • HesterF
Re: Lice
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2015, 10:50:02 pm »
Double check with a vet but I think it was two weeks - as far as I can remember I had it for scaly leg last year and that was the advice but I'm not 100%

lord flynn

  • Joined Mar 2012
Re: Lice
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2015, 07:47:34 pm »
What exactly is the egg withdrawal time for ivermectin? I have seen several sites advising that eggs can never be sold for human consumption after ivermectin treatment. I ask because I think my hens have depluming mite. We are currently bathing them once a week with dog flea shampoo, which is beginning to work, i.e. their feathers seem to be regrowing, but if this fails I may need to consider ivermectin.


it's completely daft, ivermectin is used elsewhere in the world to treat human scabies but because noone has bothered/paid to get it licensed here for poultry, we miss out on a useful drug. My vet told me 7 days and ok to sell the eggs (although I only sell to friends) and to not ever eat a bird treated with ivermectin.

Louise Gaunt

  • Joined May 2011
Re: Lice
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2015, 08:55:59 pm »
Thank you. I only sell to friends too, but use my eggs for baking and breakfast for my B and B guests, so due to lack of UK product licence I am a bit wary about using ivermectin, so I think I will continue with regular bathing, which seems to be working  :fc:

Notasausage

  • Joined Feb 2013
Re: Lice
« Reply #12 on: May 09, 2015, 09:51:38 pm »
We went with 7 days after last application so as we used it weekly for 3 weeks it meant a month of throwing away eggs. Interested to hear some have resorted to plucking the worst affected feathers. We have done this by accident but there are so many affected feathers their rear ends will be bald! Thanks for the replies. Will look for Permethrine based louse products.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS