Omlet cube and run

[chooklady]

My poor chooks have lice. I blame myself because I haven't given them such thorough attention recently, personal problems and I feel very guilty and now I have a big problem to deal with. My daugther and I have spent the last 2 days cleaning frantically.

 

Yesterday we bathed all the chooks with baby shampoo, Abby had been reading all my chicken books and decided it was best to bathe them, thoroughly rinsed and then put in the garage in a very large dog crate to dry and recover. They spent the night there while we sorted out the run.

 

We have dismantled the cube and cleaned everything and left it all open so the sunshine could get in to thoroughly dry. We have removed all the Hemrore from the run and disposed of it. brushed and cleaned everything inside the run and the areas between the concrete base and the wooden frame with hot water and poultry shield and left it to dry. I also had a aerosol spray for lice and mites which I sprayed around all the woodwork.

 

This morning I have put fresh Hemcore down, puffed lice and mite powder around the cube and the run and put it all back together, I've put powder in their dust bath but I always do that anyway.

 

We then puffed the powder on each chicken, under the wings everywhere and then put them back in the run, we are going to leave them inside for a week for their feathers to recover.

 

Is there anything else I should have done that anyone can think off?

 

I am so worried about them; From your experiences what should I do from now on to irradicate the lice altogther and what suppliments/foods should I give the girls to build them up for the winter? We have been feeding them tinned fish and hard boiled egg to try and give them a boost to grow new feathers

 

I have learnt a lesson the hard way by not being as regular with cleaning as I should have been.

 

As always your help, comments and advice is greatly appreciated.

Nicola

[The Dogmother]

Sorry to hear that, it sounds as if you've done a good job though.

 

Try getting a preventative treatment like Ivomec Eprinex* from your vet - use quarterly. Spray them with a spray containing permethrin* like the Johnsons and Nettex ones. Repeat the spray treatment a week later.

 

* not licensed for use on poultry in the UK.