What is the best way to get rid of chicken lice?

[Fwoof]

I used to use DE on my chickens, but the more respriratory harm I hear it causes, I'm backing away from it. I've been dusting them with ash in the meanwhile, but it doesn't work nearly as good as the DE did.
What's your favorite product/recipe to get rid of these pests? (extra points if it's natural!)

 

[Fwoof]

@azygous @speckledhen @Wyorp Rock what do y'all use?

 

[speckledhen]

Mine have never had lice other than the first rooster I ever had who came to me after being neglected. He was quarantined at the time so I just dusted his tush with diatomaceous earth, removed his bedding and put in fresh, also dusted with DE. It worked for his situation, but if I saw them now, I'd likely use that Poultry Dust that comes in a shaker can, permethrin-based as well as DE. There are also lice sprays for only a few birds you can buy.

 

[azygous]

I've used both permethrin poultry dusting powder and spinosad. The first is messy and you have to be careful you and the chicken don't breathe in the dust and it requires at least two treatments.

Spinosad is my preferred lice treatment as I can choose to dip, soak or spray the chicken, and it requires a single treatment to kill both adults and eggs. It's also extremely effective on coop mites.

You can usually get it online under the 'Elector PSP" label, but it's very pricey, though the concentrate lasts a very, very long time, making gallons and gallons of solution.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I used to use DE on my chickens, but the more respriratory harm I hear it causes, I'm backing away from it. I've been dusting them with ash in the meanwhile, but it doesn't work nearly as good as the DE did.
What's your favorite product/recipe to get rid of these pests? (extra points if it's natural!)

I use a Permethrin based poultry dust and spray.

I rarely have to dust birds unless they are broody. I put the dust in a sock and use that like a powder puff to dust all over, it's easier to control than leaving it in the shaker can. Store the sock in a jar with a lid, label the jar.

For housing, I use Permethrin spray, I buy the concentrate and mix it up according to the label, you can spray nooks/crannies/nesting boxes, etc.

I haven't had too many problems with external parasites except for a couple of broodies, but I do spray the inside and outside of my coop (all the wood/cracks/crevices) at least 4X a year to hopefully get rid of anything trying to settle in.

 

[Sally PB]

You can usually get it online under the 'Elector PSP" label, but it's very pricey, though the concentrate lasts a very, very long time, making gallons and gallons of solution.

You can by 9 ml of concentrate from The Chicken Chick for $20. It's enough to make 1 gallon. It's a "mix and use" amount. Once mixed, it needs to be used. It doesn't have the shelf life of the concentrate.
https://shopthechickenchick.com/collections/elector-psp

 

[speckledhen]

You just have to go easy on the DE. I put mine in a parmesan cheese shaker and lightly dust, but their nests are generally sprinkled with DE and they are in contact with it every time they lay an egg, keeps the bugs out of the nest.
For a coop clean-out, I use Orange Guard citrus oil based spray in all cracks and crevices after bedding is removed to hit the pest issue from that end. Smells great, not dangerous. You can get it at most hardware stores.
The most susceptible birds for any pests are those who are ailing or crippled and cannot effectively dust bathe.

 

[Fwoof]

Mine have never had lice other than the first rooster I ever had who came to me after being neglected. He was quarantined at the time so I just dusted his tush with diatomaceous earth, removed his bedding and put in fresh, also dusted with DE. It worked for his situation, but if I saw them now, I'd likely use that Poultry Dust that comes in a shaker can, permethrin-based as well as DE. There are also lice sprays for only a few birds you can buy.

You just have to go easy on the DE. I put mine in a parmesan cheese shaker and lightly dust, but their nests are generally sprinkled with DE and they are in contact with it every time they lay an egg, keeps the bugs out of the nest.
For a coop clean-out, I use Orange Guard citrus oil based spray in all cracks and crevices after bedding is removed to hit the pest issue from that end. Smells great, not dangerous. You can get it at most hardware stores.
The most susceptible birds for any pests are those who are ailing or crippled and cannot effectively dust bathe.

I might just do a light dusting of DE to start off, because a few of my hens have a fair amount. I've used it for pretty much the whole time I've had chickens, and I haven't had any issues with it before.

Two of my older hens have lice, but I wouldn't call them ailing or crippled. One is seven and the other is six, but they can get around as well as ever and don't have any health problems. The other two are yearling silkie/ameraucana crosses that didn't learn how to dust bathe until they were (I'm serious) five months old. Silkies... My other chickens are fine. I'm guessing they went for those four because they have the thickest/warmest feathers in my flock.

I've used both permethrin poultry dusting powder and spinosad. The first is messy and you have to be careful you and the chicken don't breathe in the dust and it requires at least two treatments.

Spinosad is my preferred lice treatment as I can choose to dip, soak or spray the chicken, and it requires a single treatment to kill both adults and eggs. It's also extremely effective on coop mites.

You can usually get it online under the 'Elector PSP" label, but it's very pricey, though the concentrate lasts a very, very long time, making gallons and gallons of solution.

Yeah, I've heard great things about it but yikes, that's expensive! I'll leave it as a maybe.

You can by 9 ml of concentrate from The Chicken Chick for $20. It's enough to make 1 gallon. It's a "mix and use" amount. Once mixed, it needs to be used. It doesn't have the shelf life of the concentrate.
https://shopthechickenchick.com/collections/elector-psp

Thanks, I'll consider that!

I use a Permethrin based poultry dust and spray.

I rarely have to dust birds unless they are broody. I put the dust in a sock and use that like a powder puff to dust all over, it's easier to control than leaving it in the shaker can. Store the sock in a jar with a lid, label the jar.

For housing, I use Permethrin spray, I buy the concentrate and mix it up according to the label, you can spray nooks/crannies/nesting boxes, etc.

I haven't had too many problems with external parasites except for a couple of broodies, but I do spray the inside and outside of my coop (all the wood/cracks/crevices) at least 4X a year to hopefully get rid of anything trying to settle in.

Thanks, I'll look into permethrin! That sock trick sounds handy.

 

[Sally PB]

Does anyone use sulfur dust for mites and lice?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Does anyone use sulfur dust for mites and lice?

I haven't used it.
I *think* I saw where @Molpet has mentioned it before.