Lice infestation! How do I remove the nits???

[Granolamom]

So, today hubby and I spent the entire morning, cleaning out the chicken coop, after finding out yesterday that our 7 chickens have lice/mites. We cleaned with hot water and peppermint soap (put some tea-tree oil in it, for good measure), then dried it and applied poultry insecticide.
We caught all 7 chickens, dusted them with poultry dust around vents and under wings. Each one of them has pea-size, light-grey cotton-y looking balls at the base of the feathers around her vent (I guess these are the nits, or lice eggs. Yuck!!!).
We tried removing them, but they are hard as rocks, and we ended up pulling out a few feathers along with them (NOT a recommended procedure, according to my chickens!).
It is too cold to bathe them right now, and so my question is, how will they come off? Will they fall off, as the lice and their offspring are killed? I plan to dust the flock again in 2-3 weeks, to take care of any stragglers/newly arriving lice. What do I do about the nits???

 

[SpeckledRoo]

You need to dust the birds with Food Grade DE. Their nests and their bodies. DE will usually take care of any infestation on the birds.

 

[standardbanty]

i haved used adams flea and tick spray for cats and dogs

 

[Granolamom]

Thanks, you guys! We've already taken care of the actual lice, by using DE, as well as an insectizide for poultry. My question is, though, how to get the nits off of them, since they're rockhard, and basically fused with the feather shafts. It looks like the only way to get them off, is to pull out the feathers, which of course I really don't want to do...

 

[Mrs MIA]

I don't know that you can get them off without bathing them. I usually do a once-a-week dusting for a few weeks after the initial treatment, to catch any lice that may hatch. Eventually the nits will go away. Though if you use a spray, like Adams, I think it kills the lice in the eggs and you don't have to worry about it so much. A routine treatment against lice outbreaks helps.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This Ohio State site has a photo of lice eggs and recommends retreatment in two weeks.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[bigzio]

Yep, I agree that 5% sevin dust is your best friend for you and the flock once you discover a problem...nothing works better, without any problems....

Simply place some sevin and mix into the dirt of the flocks favorite dusting holes, if you free range your flock, and you won't ever have a problem....but you will have a happy healthy flock.

DE, will never be able to rid the flock of a problem already there, and should never be deemed a cure all like 5% sevin dust.

~ bigzio

 

[Littlecimarron18]

i dusted 100 of my girls last night. Sevin dust works really really well. i had a post on this before and idk how to link to it. but what you do is you go in at night, and you get each bird and flip them upside down, and then you put the sevin powder on them and brush their feathers back so the dust can get down to their skin. i reccomend that you Wear a repirator or dust mask when doing this, and glasses, because it tastes bad and it burns you eyes when your girls get mad and fling it into them.

 

[bigzio]

Yep, this is another reason why free ranging your flocks makes so much sense. It isn't a issue at all. The flock treats themselves....less stress for you and the flock, and healthier less stressed birds that lay better and have their freedom. Kinda win, win, win....you, the flock, and their health.

The flocks best interest and the eggs they provide, is why we have a backyard flock, eh?

~ bigzio

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
Yes, you have to pull the feathers out if you want to remove the eggs. You can try snipping the feathers too.

I will pm you to tell you what I use on my flock to prevent lice.