Coop light problems!

[jan246]

Hi all, needing some advice please. We noticed our girls started looking a bit scrawny and had some feather loss around Ophelias neck area. On closer inspection we found lice eggs at the base of quite a few feathers around vent mainly, on 2 of the girls. We treated all 3 girls and did a thorough coop clean and treat and followed it up a week later. Since then the girls are still looking scrawny and we have had a shell-less egg (our first like that). It seems to me like they still have the lice. How do I know and what else can I do? Do the eggs stay on feather shaft even after treatment, and if so, how do you know if they are dead or not? Can I "fatten up" my girlies and if so what is the best thing- plenty of corn, tonic in their water?

Many thanks in advance for any advice!

Jan

[ajayb]

Hi, Sorry to hear about the lice. We had them last year in the warm weather but they've returned again in the last few weeks, despite the extremely cold winter (which I thought would have killed such bugs, perhaps foolishly). Our hens free range all day and we have a lot of wild birds and hedgehogs in the garden and hay store, which can;t help. What did you use to treat them? I've found the most effective treatment to be Xeno 450, though technically not licensed for chooks it is widely used by folk on the forum plus it's easy to administer (my only gripe is with the little pipettes when you have a number of birds to dose ...)

 

I'm no expert, but when my girls have lice I give them some chick crumbs in their feed (higher protein level) and the odd serving of tuna in spring water plus some poultry spice, to help 'build them up' (finely chopped cooked egg occasionally is good too). I would dust down their housing with Diatom powder. If they're also laying soft or non-shelled eggs, then add a little limestone flour to their feed (easily bought on eBay) and make sure they have grit or oyster shell available.

 

When lice eggs remain at the base of feathers (and I think they do, even after successful treatment because they're so 'cemented') I wash them off with a very dilute solution of Poultry Shield and warm water or warm water alone. They are very stubborn but I think they must be uncomfortable for the birds if they remain around the vent (plus they encorage droppings to stick there - urgh!).

 

I hope this helps. It's horrible to find lice but I think everyone's hens get them!

[jan246]

Thanks for the advice Ayayb, had treated girls and coop with Diatom powder so maybe its time for something stronger. Already put plenty of grit for them and added tonic to water. They wont be impressed if I have to bath them- but I suppose thats the only way I`ll know for definate the creepy critters have gone!

Jan