Poultry Lice


Finally a sunny day this August. All the chickens were out enjoying the sunshine and sunbathing. The warm weather though signals the onset of bugs.

Sure enough, when I picked up Penguin and checked under his tail. Poultry lice were seen.

So what are they? They are little brown insects that you see running on the skin when you part the feathers. Apparently they don't like the light, so you see them scurrying away to hide under feathers.


Penguin also had some eggs, they look like fluffy balls stuck to the base of the feathers.

WHAT I USE AS TREATMENT

Online resources tell me that chickens need to dust bathe to prevent lice, but our free ranging chickens have picked numerous places around the garden to dust bathe, so you may find your chickens with lice too.
So I dust the chickens with David Grays Poultry Dust. Readily available at grain stores. As you can see from the photo, it cost $19.50 from the Magill Grain Store for 400g. Probably a lot cheaper online, but I couldn't wait for it to be delivered. I've seen a 3kg pack at the grain store too, can't remember the price.



I just part the feathers and pour some of the dust in. Some people hold their chickens by their legs and hold them upside down, but I don't think my chickens would like that very much.  For us it is a two person job, one to hold the chicken and part the feathers, the other to sprinkle.

I also like to sprinkle some of it where they like to dust bathe and in their nest boxes.

When I do their coop clean out. I like to spray Coopex on the walls and perches, which supposedly has a residual effect to prevent bugs crawling over those surfaces.

At least we caught it early on Penguin. I like to say to him that he caught an STD from all the ladies that he is wooing. Buffy who has problems mounting the hens (those short legs!) didn't have any. So it's "Penguin, you caught and STD. That's what happens when you have one night stands." Ha ha. I don't think he appreciates those jokes.

So I feel itchy after looking at those photos, should go dust myself too. 

Note: Online sources say that you poultry lice don't live on humans, but that can't stop my imagination from feeling them crawl on me.

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