How to get rid of chicken lice using folk and chemical means

Chicken fleas cause a lot of trouble to poultry owners: the growth of young animals stops, the egg production of chickens decreases, they lose weight, become vulnerable to infections and may die. The solution to the question of how to get rid of chicken fleas is urgent, because not only the life of poultry and the financial well-being of the farmer is at stake, but also the health of people living nearby.

Chicken fleas around the eyes of birds (the parasites look like narrow lines from above. Their body is completely flat (flattened on the sides), the color is dark brown)

What do chicken parasites look like?

Chicken lice
Chicken lice are parasitic external insects that feed on the blood of mammals. They have microscopic dimensions - within 0.4-0.5 mm. The body is reddish-brown, flattened. After saturation, the filling of the stomach is visible.

Paws with small claws help them fixate on the victim. The head is quite large and mustachioed. The mouth contains chewing jaws (mandibles), with a sharp process for sucking blood. Externally, the chicken louse is similar to the human louse, which is where the name comes from.

Parasites emerge from egg-shaped capsules that develop over the course of a week. The louse nit is a translucent cocoon, whitish in color. Having hatched, the young begin to develop rapidly, moving into the adult stage. This leads to active distribution.

The lifespan of lice is 1 month, which they spend only on birds. There are varieties of lice that feed on both feathers and blood. Then bald spots appear on the bird.

Signs of bird infection

Insects cause significant discomfort to the bird, as evidenced by a number of signs:

• Concern appears: the chickens peck themselves, trying to catch the bloodsucker, tearing out feathers in shreds.
• Stop eating food.
• They lose weight sharply.
• They don't lay eggs.
• Multiple bald patches appear on the feather cover.
• Chickens slow down in growth and development.
• Chickens stop sleeping
• Eyes become inflamed.

Lack of proper treatment leads to the death of the bird population.
Lack of proper treatment leads to death of the bird population. The risk of being attacked by harmful insects especially increases during molting. Lice love fresh feathers.

It is difficult to diagnose chicken lice with the naked eye. The most favorite habitats of lice:

• under the wing;
• in the neck and legs;
• around the anus;
• near the eyes.

To detect parasites, they use a special method of heating the chicken for 10 minutes - thermotropism. As a result, insects crawl out.

With the help of herbs

The smell of some herbs repels parasites. In order to remove chicken lice, you can hang skeins of the following plants throughout the poultry house:

• tansy;
• wild rosemary;
• rosemary;
• sagebrush;
• mint.

Do you use herbs to treat chickens for parasites?

Not really

You can also use herbal infusions of wormwood, peppermint, wild rosemary and tansy and ready-made essential oils from eucalyptus and rosemary leaves, treating the bases of the feathers, skin and neck of chickens with them.

Causes of lice in chickens

To detect parasites, they use a special method of heating the chicken for 10 minutes - thermotropism.
Infection with chicken lice occurs for a number of reasons:

• failure to comply with basic hygienic rules for keeping a flock;
• crowded coop;
• tactile contact between healthy and sick individuals;
• interaction with infected birds from outside, rodents;
• weakening of the immune system.

Such problems do not arise if the chickens are kept clean and comfortable, with regular free range.

Preventive actions

Of course, 100% protection does not exist, but preventive measures can significantly reduce risks, these include:

• Containers are placed in the chicken coop into which a mixture of sand and ash is poured. Also remember that laying hens should be able to take dust baths.
• Enclosures must be protected from rodents to exclude any possibility of rats and mice entering.
• You should also ensure that there is no contact with wild birds, which often cause infection.
• Regular cleaning, replacement of bedding is mandatory, air humidity must be monitored, and cleaning should also be carried out in nearby areas.
• It is recommended to carry out preventive antiparasitic treatment 1, 2 times a year.
• Feeders and drinkers are washed and disinfected daily.
• You should be careful when visiting other poultry houses; be sure to change clothes and shoes after such visits.
• Preventive examinations are carried out; if an infection is detected in at least one laying hen, the entire flock is treated.
• The bird’s immune system should be strengthened; for this purpose, special fortified bait is given in autumn and winter.
• It is necessary to first treat purchased laying hens with an antiparasitic agent, and only then place them with the others.

As you can see, chicken lice can cause huge problems, so it is easier to prevent this situation than to deal with it later. If an infestation is detected, measures must be taken immediately, preventing parasites from multiplying.

How to remove chicken lice

Parasite control measures involve two successive stages: treatment of the poultry flock, then housing. All this is done as quickly as possible to prevent the spread of the epidemic. The process involves the use of pesticides and folk remedies.

If a problem is detected, all birds are moved to a new place, and the chicken coop is disinfected.

Special insecticidal preparations are purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. Regardless of the chosen method, the bird is treated twice: immediately and after a week. It is important that chemicals do not leak into the birds' eyes and beaks.

If a problem is detected, all birds are moved to a new place, and the chicken coop is disinfected

What drugs should I use?

There are many commercially available products that help cope with mallophagosis (infection with external parasites). Their effect is local: they kill pests, but do not cause pathological harm to the bird.

The most common forms of release:

• Drops that are enough to apply in small quantities to the affected areas. Suitable for use for a month, which is enough to destroy larvae and adults. Contraindicated for chickens and weakened birds.
• Sprays with a prolonged effect on adult lice and nits. Each chicken is completely sprayed with them.

There are also powders and liquid solutions.

Several best drugs

If there is a large accumulation of lice on a bird, it is recommended to use the drug “Butox”. It comes in powder or liquid form and dissolves in water, according to the dosages indicated in the instructions on the package. The resulting solution is used to pollinate the chicken.

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When there are few parasitic clusters, drops are used: Bars, Frontline, Neostomazan. Sprays that are also effective are: Dichlorvos, Reid, Get, as well as liquid solutions of Tetrix, Karbofos, Executioner.

Chemical insecticides against chicken lice

When there are few parasitic accumulations, drops are used.
The most common chemical insecticides are:

• Insectoacaricidal powder - sprayed and rubbed into feathers. For a one-time treatment, 2-5 g is enough.
• Butox - the contents of the ampoule are dissolved in four liters of water.
• Beafar, Frontline - an insecticidal spray that is used to spray the chicken until the feather cover is completely moistened.
• Promectin is an effective drug for treating chickens by mixing it into drinking water.

For treatment, you can use the following formulations: Stomazan, Neostomazan. Due to their toxicity, they are contraindicated for laying hens and poultry going to slaughter. Any treatment must be repeated after 8-10 days to destroy the remaining larvae.

Folk remedies

Along with chemical means of control, there are folk remedies that are no less effective in terms of impact. The most common:

• Table vinegar: dilute in water (take 1:3 proportions), and pollinate the bird from a spray bottle.
• Kerosene: completely exterminates adult beetles, to a limited extent – ​​larvae. Each chicken is processed and transferred to another room.
• A mixture of alcohol, kerosene and gasoline: the ingredients are combined in equal proportions, and then applied to the damaged skin areas of the bird. The method allows you to destroy lice nits.
• Herbal infusion: 300 grams of a mixture of wild rosemary, chamomile and tansy, brew with six liters of boiling water. Boil for a quarter of an hour and cool. The method is suitable for minor lice infestations.

To repel pests, a kerosene-ammonia solution is applied to the bird’s neck, and bunches of wormwood, wild rosemary, and tansy are hung in the chicken coop.

To repel pests, apply a kerosene-ammonia solution to the bird’s neck, and hang bunches of wormwood, wild rosemary, and tansy in the chicken coop.

Effective chemistry

The larger the problem and the larger the flock, the more relevant are the chemicals originally developed to combat avian fleas and lice.

Treating only flea and lousy individuals with the selected antiparasitic drug is not an option. All livestock are treated, including birds of younger age groups. If the same room contains livestock of different species, then all neighbors (cows, goats, sheep...) of the chickens must also be treated.

List of popular antiparasitic agents:

1. Bars and Stronghold are compositions originally for canines and cats. Can also be used on birds.
2. Combat and Raptor are aerosols that can also be used to treat bird plumage.
3. Cucaracha is a liquid product produced in ampoules. Method of use: spraying.
4. Dana is a powdery preparation for dusting feathers.

In fact, these are not all effective drugs that are widely used in private poultry farming. There are many more of them.

Disinfection of the chicken coop

Having discovered parasites on chickens, they treat not only the chickens, but also the poultry house. All surfaces are disinfected, including the flock’s favorite places. But first, the inhabitants are evicted and a general cleaning is carried out.

Preparations for spraying chicken coops are divided into 2 categories. Some can be used in the presence of birds, others cannot. The last category is cheaper in cost, but requires a lot of effort and time. The approximate consumption is 0.5 liters of solution per cubic meter of treated area.

Having discovered parasites on chickens, they treat not only the chickens, but also the poultry house

Preparation for disinfection, washing

With a large number of birds, it is difficult to treat each bird with medicine. Therefore, the spray method is used. After preparing the solution, wait until the birds calm down and sit on their perches. Then they carefully spray the birds, trying not to scare them away.

Further actions:

1. The chickens are transferred to a clean room.
2. Throw away unsuitable bedding, litter, leftover food, and droppings.
3. Wash the internal structures of the chicken coop.

After the measures taken, protective clothing (mask, gloves, body suit) is prepared to ensure human safety when working with insecticides.

Treating the chicken coop for parasites

The chicken coop is disinfected sequentially.
The chicken coop is disinfected sequentially, thoroughly spraying the interior space with a sprayer. Use insecticidal preparations of your choice:

• Entomazan is super.
• Stomazan.
• Diazonin.
• Butox.
• Peritrum.
• Sevin.

An alternative to aerosols is steam treatment or fumigation with insecticidal smoke bombs (for example, Peshka-V). The checker weighs 50 g and is designed for a room of 200-250 square meters. m.

To prevent parasitic infestations, use containers with ash and fine sand.

2-3 hours after completion of work, new bedding is laid out and fresh food is poured in.

There are no universal remedies that simultaneously destroy eggs and adult lice. Therefore, treatment is carried out every 10 days until the infestations are completely eliminated.

Prevention of parasite infestation

To prevent parasitic infestations, containers with ash and fine sand are installed in the chicken coop. Birds taking such baths daily are less susceptible to infestation with lice and other external parasites.

Additional measures:

• A net is stretched over the pen to prevent free birds from interacting tactilely with the chickens.
• Pigeon nests, if any, are removed from the barn.
• Seal up any holes and passages in the chicken coop through which rodents can get inside. They are the main carriers of parasites.

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Once a month, the bird must be examined for the presence of external parasitic infestations.

Once a month, the bird must be examined for the presence of external parasitic infestations.

Symptoms

Early detection of the fact that a herd (or individual animals) is affected by lice and fleas is one of the guarantees of a quick solution to the problem. Due to the fact that lice are hidden under the plumage, it is impossible to detect them at first glance.

At the same time, a problem bird can be identified by certain changes in appearance and characteristic behavioral reactions:

• Partial "baldness";
• anxiety;
• loss of appetite;
• low level of reproductive ability;
• high chick mortality;
• brown skin around the eyes.

Can lice live on humans or other animals?

Chicken lice do not take root on humans and animals, since dense skin and lower body temperature prevent them from adequately feeding. However, they can bite quite painfully.

Bite areas must be disinfected and treated to prevent infection from being introduced inside. If insects get on your hair, just wash your hair with shampoo.

Chicken lice do not take root on humans and animals

Other external parasites

In addition to fluff eaters, a number of other external parasites are identified:

• bedbugs;
• fleas;
• ticks.

Unlike lice, fleas and bedbugs can exist not only on birds, but also on humans. Several types of mites are especially dangerous for chickens. Their treatment is difficult due to their nocturnal activity: they hide from daylight.

Ticks rarely appear when birds are kept in cages, due to the lack of perches and straw bedding.

Preparations for all external parasites are the same in terms of their effect.

Red chicken mite

This type of tick is dangerous, as it is a carrier of cholera, plague, and borrelosis. The main habitats are wet litter. They reproduce well in poorly ventilated areas.

Red chicken mite

Adult representatives measure 0.6-0.8 mm in length. The body is dark red in color, flattened in shape. When saturated with blood they turn burgundy. To detect ticks, white sheets are used, with which they examine the hidden nooks and crannies of the chicken coop. When insects fall off, red grains are noticeable on the paper.

Syringophilosis or feather scabies

Syringophilosis is a disease that develops as a result of the vital activity of thrombidiform mites in the feather stump. The pathogens are small in size: length – 1.2 mm, width – 0.6 mm. Matte white or grayish tint. The upper shield is covered with paired elongated setae, and the back is covered with two similar pairs. A powerful flattened proboscis protrudes from the front. Ticks are equipped with a sucking-piercing jaw.

Syringophilosis or feather scabies

They parasitize en masse, settling in the feather cover for at least a month. They develop in stages: eggs, larvae, protonymphomas, deutonymphomas, adults. Birds six months and older are most often affected. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets and through tactile contact of sick chickens with healthy ones.

The peak incidence occurs in spring and summer, with isolated outbreaks occurring in winter. Mostly birds living in regions with warm climates are affected. Ticks die instantly at low temperatures, in room conditions - within a week. They are viable on the victim for 2-4 weeks.

Acariform mite

This type of mite lives under the epithelium of the bird, on the paws. A similar disease is popularly called “limestone leg.” This is explained by the fact that the epidermis at the site of the lesion becomes denser. In scientific terminology, the pathology is referred to as knemidocoptosis.

Roosters are more vulnerable to acariform mites than chickens. The insect dies at high temperatures, so boiling water is used to treat the chicken coop.

Bedbugs

Roosters are more vulnerable to acariform mites than chickens.
Microscopic insects that cause discomfort and pain from bites to chickens. Infection can spread through the bitten areas, leading to various diseases. Parasites usually attack at night.

Birds can be affected by several types of bedbugs, the most common being the bed bug and the Sigiso bug. These are blood-sucking insects 2-4 mm long and up to 2 mm thick. The color varies within yellow-brown tones.

Fleas

The flea is a blood-sucking parasitic insect with active life activity as an adult. Infects objects by jumping. The larva has no legs, so there is no way to jump. The insect size is about 1.5 mm in length. The body is flattened and elongated.

Chicken fleas

Fleas attack chickens in colonies of up to 100 individuals. They are able to firmly attach themselves to the skin, which allows them to parasitize the victim for a long time.

The European flea feels equally comfortable on birds and humans. Lives on its owner until it is satisfied. Fleas lay eggs in bedding, so the first step is to dispose of them.

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Description, features of development of mallophages

Mallophages are wingless, miniature insects with a flat-round or elongated, flattened segmented (from 3 to 5 segments) body no longer than 2 mm. The color is light brown, yellowish with darker patches. The head is wider than the body, and there are antennae on the top of the head. There are 3 pairs of paws, they end with tenacious claws that help the insect stay on the bird’s body. The parasite has a very strong, vertically positioned jaw, with which it also clings to fluff and skin.

Insects can eat mixed blood discharge that appears on various small wounds. During the laying period, the female attaches small, oval, white eggs to the down, feathers and skin of the chickens. Over the course of its entire life, one individual produces impressive offspring - up to 100,000 individuals. Insects survive only on the body of the bird, outside their comfortable environment; without a food source they die after 3–8 days.

5–20 days after laying, the larvae are born, within 2–3 weeks they go through 3 molts and become adults. The development cycle of an insect can take no more than 30 days; the favorable temperature for mallophages will be 25 or 30 degrees, and humidity from 70 to 80%.

Bird symptoms and treatment

When a poultry flock becomes infected with periodontal beetles and other skin infestations, the productivity of laying hens first decreases. Egg production decreases by approximately 15-20%. This sign is the first warning sign.

Symptoms and treatment methods depending on the type of lesion:

Traditional methods and prevention against parasites

A universal prevention option would be to install an ash bath in the poultry farm with the addition of sand, sulfur, and lime. To repel insects, hang bunches of dried mint inside, and place onion and garlic peels in the corners of the chicken coop.

Tar, which is used to coat the paws of chickens and perches, helps against mites. To prevent parasitic infestations, the chicken coop is regularly cleaned, food and drinking water are changed in a timely manner. The bird is examined more often.

Tar helps against ticks

Danger to humans and other animals

Staying among infected birds for a long time without protective clothing inevitably leads to multiple bites.

Chicken pests do not take root on humans, but there is a danger of an allergic reaction and infection: encephalitis, worms, brucellosis, salmonellosis.

Traditional methods of getting rid of fleas and lice

Chicken fleas are repelled by herbs with pungent odors - wormwood, tansy, rosemary, wild rosemary. Grass is laid out around the chicken coop and in bird nests. But this method is more suitable for preventing infection than for disinfestation.

Stove ash is effective against parasites. They sprinkle it on the chicken coop and place a container with ash inside the room. Chickens bathe in it, ensuring the removal of parasites.

Traditional methods of control do not guarantee the complete elimination of infection, but are often used on private farms.