CallyChook Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Hi, I was just wondering what the best way of treating lice on young birds is? My older birds are treated with the not-licenced frontline, but I was wondering if it might be too strong for the little ones (8 and 10.5 weeks), or maybe one drop would do it? I check all my birds almost daily (due to this lot being hand-raised and spending a good amount of time having cuddles every day!) and have only spotted a couple on one's vent, but where there's a couple, there'll soon be a million, on all of them. They're just "normal" chicken lice, not NFM or red. They already get dusted with diatom powder. thanks for the advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 I had exactly the same problem with two of my chicks - the broody mum (who is still with them) had a few lice and a couple of chicks too. The mum is regularly treated with a preventative treatment, so any lice on her would soon die anyhow. I sprayed her with a spray containing permethrin (NetTex Total Mite Kill, but the Johnsons spray does the same job)* and dusted the two 10 week-olds with a permethrin based powder*. They are all now free of lice. Don't forget to repeat the treatment after a week. *not licensed for use on poultry in the UK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallyChook Posted September 7, 2010 Author Share Posted September 7, 2010 cheers Clare, I know it's not normally used on the birds but I had an inkling that the permethrin powder might be a little less deadly than the drop on, and I can't just leave the poor beggar with lice on her bum. I've got a fairy liquid bottle drying in the window at the mo, and will give her a wee puff with permethrin later today x I'm thinking of throwing my diatom powder in the bin, it didnt work against the big folk's red mite, and it hasnt kept lice off my bantams either... organic 0, chemicals 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 7, 2010 Share Posted September 7, 2010 Don't chuck the diatom out - use it in the dustbath instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallyChook Posted September 7, 2010 Author Share Posted September 7, 2010 their dustbath is a huge chicken-created (9ft x 3 ft) soily patch beneath the pine trees at the back of the garden... but I'll sling it all in there anyways Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CallyChook Posted September 9, 2010 Author Share Posted September 9, 2010 so far so good... i checked last night 24 hrs after the perm and couldnt find any lice on Ethel. None of the other chicks seemed to have a sign of lice but all had a poof of powder around their vent anyways and I went and diatomed them too out of habit and superstition i suppose! Will be checking again tonight, then poofing again next week, and will put an update on xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted September 9, 2010 Share Posted September 9, 2010 That sounds positive. Chicks need checking regularly (if you can catch them!) as it doesn't take long for them to go downhill if they get infested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
