My four week chicks have lice - EMERGENCY

[azygous]

Since you're in Australia, you may not be able to buy permethrin although it's a very safe insecticide for chickens.

 

[Cheekychook12]

Got these two things that will hopefully do the trick

 

[Cheekychook12]

Since you're in Australia, you may not be able to buy permethrin although it's a very safe insecticide for chickens.

I can buy stuff like that but it takes a few weeks to get shipped here

 

[Cheekychook12]

Are the chicks poops watery? Are the chicks lethargic? Loss of appetite?

Was the blood mixed in the poop or was it isolated? Have you looked them over carefully for possible injuries?

A coccidiostat will block thiamine, a very crucial vitamin for baby chicks. It would be wise not to treat unless you're reasonably certain they have coccidiosis. One way to find out is to gather some fresh poop and take it to a vet and request a fecal float test to confirm coccidia in their intestines. The test shouldn't be expensive and you should get results in an hour.

They seem a little lethargic but not much
The blood looked mixed into the poop but it was mostly blood
They have no bleeding around vents or anywhere else that would indicate damage from mites
No cuts on feet or anything
The blood was a bit stringy but definitely blood
There were three at least bloody poop that I saw
I think the mites stressed them and made the coccidiosis become more obvious
They are already dust bathing in the mix I made and the water is medicated

 

[Cheekychook12]

They are making little trills when they are dust bathing

 

[azygous]

You will do two rounds of the coccidiostat. Five days on, a week off, and another five days on. After the last of the coccidiostat, you need to give them replacement thiamine or a B-complex. Thiamine deficiency causes serious consequences in baby chicks, and they will be deficient at the end of the treatment.

The trilling signals deep contentment. Can you get some wood ash to add to their dust bath?

 

[Cheekychook12]

OK thank you, I will do that what is coccidiostat, it doesn’t say that on the one I got

I can but I did add some diatomaceous earth already
That’s good hopefully they like it
I took a look at the one with the worst case and most of the mites are already gone

 

[azygous]

A coccidiostat is amprolium, what treats coccidia. Here in the US the brand name is Corid. The Cocciprol is amprolium and should get the job done.

Mites and lice are two distinctly different things. Lice live on a chicken and thrive on dry skin flakes and feather dander. They have six legs. Mites have eight legs and thrive on sucking blood from the chicken. They typically live during the day in cracks in the coop. They come out mainly at night to feed on the chickens.

You can tell which you have by examining one of the bugs under a magnifying lens. Mites are more of a danger to the chicks as they will quickly become anemic from mites sucking their blood.

 

[Cheekychook12]

A coccidiostat is amprolium, what treats coccidia. Here in the US the brand name is Corid. The Cocciprol is amprolium and should get the job done.

Mites and lice are two distinctly different things. Lice live on a chicken and thrive on dry skin flakes and feather dander. They have six legs. Mites have eight legs and thrive on sucking blood from the chicken. They typically live during the day in cracks in the coop. They come out mainly at night to feed on the chickens.

You can tell which you have by examining one of the bugs under a magnifying lens. Mites are more of a danger to the chicks as they will quickly become anemic from mites sucking their blood.

The treatment for lice and mites is the same through?
I can’t find any on them anymore to have a look at, I’ll see if I can find any, I wasn’t able to count the legs but they were somewhat round bodied and light in colour apart from a red stripe down their backs

Ah ok that makes sense
I’ll track down some thiamine in advance in case I need it shipped
Do I give it to them in the week off for treatment or no

 

[Cheekychook12]

They have all been drinking the treated water now too