Getting rid of lice and their nits before show

[Chicks 'n ducks]

Hello!
I have a show coming up in 2 weeks (first one in over a year) That I am really excited for! Except, my birds have lice I have silkies. I see some adult lice in the feathers on the body of my birds, and they have a lot of nits in their beards that I can't get off. I don't see any eggs elsewhere. How can I get rid of these before the show? Any tips and tricks for getting the eggs off the feather shafts? I am also wondering about Sevin dust, I have heard mixed things about it's safety for use on fowl. Thanks!!

 

[Chicks 'n ducks]

Anybody?

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I have used permethrin powder to kill lice and it works if you apply it once a week for 3 weeks. I have never tried to get the eggs off of feathers though, so I am no help with that part.

 

[dawg53]

Coconut oil will remove the eggs. Use permethrin dust to kill lice as stated by Cinnamon Roll. Dont forget to dust everything inside the coop(s).

 

[333113]

Sevin or permethrin dust will kill most lice, but won't remove the evidence of lice for show purposes.

The best way to remove all lice and evidence of lice is a warm bath, possibly more than one, with careful attention to the places you see evidence of the lice. I fill a small Rubbermaid container about 16x22 inches with enough warm water that the chicken can stand in it with its head above water. I put a little Johnson &Johnson No-More-Tears baby shampoo in the water. The soak alone will remove most of the live lice.

Then, I use an old tooth brush or similar soft brush and/or fingernails to get rid of any lice or lice nits or nests. (this works on feather mites, too.)

Then I rinse the chicken in warm water to remove soap and any remaining nits or licmay have to repeat for a serious infestation.

Most birds react well to warm water and almost go to sleep, so don't let your chicken's head slip below the water. Dry by wrapping in a dry towel, and putting them in a warm place. I leave mine in a dog carrier in the bathroom, which is the warmest room in our house. When the chicken crawls out of the towel, I let it air-dry on its own.

 

[333113]

I should have added, for bearded chicks (I have bearded and crested, so same goes for them), use a wet washcloth to squeeze a stream of water though the beard/crest, being careful not to get water into the mouth or nose. A soft brush or fingernails will let you comb out any lice or evidence of lice. You will want to rinse them the same way, that is, carefully!

Then, if you get tired of washing chickens, come on over to one of the duck forums or threads, where we put down a tub of water and the ducks wash themselves!

 

[Chicks 'n ducks]

Thank you all so much! I did bathe the birds that I am planning on taking, and it did get rid of some or maybe most of the live lice. however the eggs in the beard did not get any looser? I tried yesterday on another bird to get the nits out with oil, it was an olive, safflower, vegetable, blend, but it didn't really work either. Is this because it wasn't the right kind of oil?