Chicken lice - how to get rid of and how to remove bird parasites, drugs and folk remedies

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Svetlana Tarasova

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Chicken parasites are carriers of dangerous infections that pose a threat even to humans. Therefore, lice not only bring discomfort to laying hens, but can also significantly reduce the number of poultry. When infected with parasites, the chicken weakens, as a result of which its immunity decreases. The bird becomes defenseless against other diseases. If left untreated, the chicken may die.

What do chicken lice look like, what do they eat and how do they reproduce, their types

Chicken lice or mallophages are small, wingless insects . They have an elongated round body, which is divided into segments. The exoskeleton of parasites is yellow-brown.

Dark spots and stripes can be seen on the shell of some individuals. The head of insects is wider compared to the body. On its front part there are antennae.

The size of the louse's body does not exceed 1.5-2 cm. There are 3 pairs of paws on it, which end in sharp growths. The latter are necessary for reliable fixation of the insect on the feathers of birds. The parasite often uses its mandibles as an additional attachment.

Chicken lice eat the keratinized epithelium of birds, down and feathers. Due to the peculiarities of their diet, these parasites are also called down-eaters.

IMPORTANT. Most chicken lice do not drink blood. Typically, mallophages feed on coagulated fluid that protrudes from scratches and small wounds on the skin.

Female down feather eaters lay white oval eggs 0.5 mm in size and attach them to the down or body of the chicken. They can be examined under a magnifying glass. After 5-18 days, larvae are born, similar in appearance to the adult.

They molt about 3 times within a month. After the last molt, their body is covered with an exoskeleton. During this period, they reach sexual maturity and begin to reproduce rapidly. A pair of insects lays more than 100,000 eggs during their lifetime.

The growth and reproduction of parasites directly depend on the state of the environment. The most favorable conditions for the life of mallophages are a temperature of +25...+30°C, 70-80% humidity in the room. The entire life of fluff eaters passes on the body of the host. When lice enter the external environment, they do not survive for 2-4 days.

The parasitic disease of chickens with lice is called mallophagosis. Insects are not able to change hosts. There are 2 subgroups of chicken lice:

• the former feed on keratinized skin scales, down or feathers;
• the latter eat coagulated blood on wounds, causing itching and irritation of the bird’s skin.

In Russia, there are 22 types of lice. Of these, chickens are affected by down feather eaters. Problems rarely arise with blood-sucking insects.

Symptoms

At the initial stage, the disease in chickens almost does not manifest itself. But the pests multiply quickly and soon poultry farmers may notice them on laying hens and boilers.

The main symptoms that indicate chicken lice:

1. The bird behaves restlessly, often fiddles with its feathers, and is nervous.
2. The egg production of laying hens decreases by an average of 11%.
3. The chickens lose their feathers and down, and their body becomes exposed.
4. Body weight decreases.

Lice in chickens
The skin damaged by the pest constantly itches. The chicken seeks relief from the itching and pecks itself, plucking feathers and causing harm to itself. Chicks infected with mallophage do not gain weight and die from exhaustion. Adults suffer from anemia, lose appetite, and lose weight. Some pests attack the eyes and cause conjunctivitis.

Interesting!

The louse does not survive on the human body. She cannot bite through the skin, which is thicker than chicken skin.

Roosters are more susceptible to the disease because they do not like to take sand baths and groom their feathers less often. If the comb acquires a bluish tint, then it is worth checking the bird for the presence of pests.

Symptoms and possible consequences of poultry infection

Chicken lice affect poultry regardless of age. The source of infection is both chicken care items and sick individuals. In most cases, parasite eggs are transmitted within cells, through perches, and dust baths.

The parasitic disease is observed in late spring and early autumn. The risk of lice infesting chickens increases with improper management of poultry, an unbalanced diet, and high humidity in the chicken coop.

REFERENCE. Insects infect roosters more often than laying hens. This is due to the birds’ own hygiene. Compared to females, males do not pay due attention to cleaning their feathers and rarely use dust baths.

There are the following symptoms that can be used to identify parasitism:

1. Lice do not tolerate sunlight well , so they seek protection from ultraviolet radiation under the wings and tail . Insect colonies are concentrated in the lateral and lower parts of the chickens' bodies. It is difficult to see parasites with the naked eye, because the brown color of the exoskeleton merges with the color of the feathers. As the number of insects in a colony increases, chickens quickly become bald. Feathers begin to fall out from the neck, back and belly.
2. Parasites can settle on the mucous membrane of the eyes. In this case, the release of purulent exudate is observed, conjunctivitis develops, accompanied by severe inflammation.
3. A careful examination of the feathers may reveal holes . They are left by an insect that eats the fluff as it moves along the bird's body.
4. Chicken lice are more likely to attack new feathers . Because of this feature, the symptoms of the disease worsen during the molting period. The bird loses weight and stops laying eggs.
5. The chicken is getting restless . The bird constantly cleans its plumage, begins to peck its body and pluck out fluff. With a severe parasitic disease, wounds appear on the animal’s skin and dried blood can be seen on the feathers. Small lesions leak pus. Traces of parasite defecation appear on the comb and earrings of the chicken - dark brown spots.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to accurately verify the presence of parasites on the bird’s feathers. To inspect the bird, you will need to leave the chicken in direct sunlight for 10 minutes.

As an alternative, heating with a lamp can be used . Under the influence of heat, parasites begin to crawl out of the down and become clearly visible under the feathers. Lice immediately leave a dead bird because the chicken carcass cools down and does not provide the parasites with favorable conditions for reproduction.

IMPORTANT. It is necessary to distinguish between mallophagosis and scabies, which is caused by damage to microscopic mites. The latter become visible under a microscope when the stratum corneum is scraped off.

Chicken lice cannot be ignored. They pose a threat to life for both young and adult birds. Insects are carriers of a number of serious diseases:

• brucellosis;
• plague;
• salmonellosis;
• encephalitis;
• chicken flu.

Some of the chicken parasites can transmit helminths. Therefore, contact with a sick chicken can infect other pets and even humans.

Damage from parasites to birds

When a chicken louse gets on the skin of a bird, it begins to actively feed on its blood. The chickens become very irritated. They begin to itch a lot and also pluck feathers from all available places.

When the number of pests becomes critically large, the chickens stop laying eggs and practically do not move. Over time, they may become anemic and completely exhausted.

In addition, these ectoparasites can infect chickens with severe infectious diseases: brucellosis, salsalmonellosis, trypanosomiasis, mycoplasmosis, plague, encephalitis.

Against this background, not only chickens, but also their owners can suffer.

How to get rid of lice from chickens - fighting the parasite?

In the fight against parasites, it is recommended to use several treatment methods simultaneously . This approach increases the chance of a full recovery for the chickens.

To carry out complex therapy, you should use special preparations for treating poultry, antiseptics for disinfecting all surfaces in the chicken coop, and means for controlling parasites on chickens.

Chemicals can be used together with folk remedies.

When detecting parasites, you must follow the following algorithm:

1. Remove all birds from the coop.
2. Wash the room thoroughly, disinfect all surfaces with chemical compounds.
3. Process all chickens in turn, starting with chicks and ending with adults. It is recommended to clean the roosters last. More parasites settle on males.
4. After this, bring the birds back into the coop and do not disturb them for 48-72 hours.
5. After this time, all chickens need to be examined for parasites . If necessary, re-process. This requires the use of alternative treatments.

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How to treat chickens for lice at home?

It is necessary to treat chickens with alcohol solutions and powders. The latter must be mixed with sand or dust, which birds use for bathing and cleaning their plumage.

Treatment procedures must be repeated every 8-12 days . In the cold season, the interval between procedures should be 15 days.

Why is the insectoacaricidal checker “PESHKA-V” convenient?

First of all, the processing does not require additional devices and tools. Simply place the checkers in a pre-sealed chicken coop, remove the caps from the necks and set them on fire.

Secondly, the insectoacaricidal bomb has a different principle of action - cypermethrin sublimes and, along with the smoke, spreads throughout the room, affecting all parasites without exception. After 5-6 hours it is allowed to be used for its intended purpose.

Thirdly, all that remains is to ventilate it for two hours, remove dead insects and neutralize the feeders and drinkers with a soda solution.

Offers to buy insectoacaricidal bomb "PESHKA-V" at manufacturer's prices. Call our managers to clarify the cost of the product or get additional information on the rules for its use.

Preparations for chicken lice

In most cases, the following drugs are used for treatment:

• water-based suspension of Enterobacter;
• emulsion of Cyodrin, Permethrin;
• Chlorophos solution, Trichlorometaphos-3;
• Dibrom;
• Ecofleece aerosol;
• Dicresyl;
• Pyrethrum in powder form, Sevin for treating poultry heads;
• 5-7% Turingin.

The drugs can be purchased at any veterinary pharmacy. If these products are not available, flea medications for dogs and cats can be used for treatment. The dosage of solutions should not be changed.

How to remove ticks from chickens

This insect is a real disaster, how to deal with them if it hides in the most secluded places of the chicken coop, where even strong solutions are out of reach.

This problem faces not only amateur poultry farmers, but also industrialists. The saddest thing is that the folk method in the form of sand baths does not help (there are no ticks on the chicken during the day, or few). At the moment, biologists are searching and no treatment has yet been developed.

Chicken mite

Folk remedies such as garlic, vinegar, yarrow, lavender, etc. (the list goes on for a long time) do not help.

You can treat the chicken coop with the drugs listed above, as well as:

• "Acromed";
• Medifox;
• "Avicin";
• "Medilis".

The poultry farmer can be consoled by the fact that with the onset of cold weather, the mite goes into hibernation (it can remain hungry for 12 months). However, with the arrival of warmth, it intensifies its activity. There is information that when searching for how to deal with ticks, flypaper was used and the insect was actively sticking. But as a remedy for fleas and fluff eaters, Velcro is completely unsuitable.

A very good method is firing with lamps. However, it is only acceptable for metal structures.

As one of the methods, it can be proposed to completely empty the chicken coop of birds for a year. However, this does not guarantee that the imported young animals will be “clean”.

Statistics show that there are no longer tick-free farms. Its distribution area is so large that it becomes impossible to completely cure the population. Arachnologists are constantly searching for ways to combat this scourge.

If the product is not intended, then the active substance passes into the blood, meat and eggs and the high-quality product turns into poison.

It is important not to use drugs (even as an experiment) if they are not intended for these purposes. For example, insecticidal smoke bombs (“City”, “Yamal”, “Quiet Evening”) work well against insects, but they “do not kill the red chicken mite”

Don’t know what to feed laying hens to help them lay eggs better? The answer is here: https://inkubatorinfo.ru/ukhod/kak-uvelichit-yaycenoskost-kur.html

By observing the habits of the bird, looking closely and listening, you can easily determine who lives on the bird. If you do this in a timely manner, it becomes easier to deal with parasitic insects. By organizing baths, you can prevent fleas, lice eaters, and feather eaters from entering your poultry yard. Frequent cleaning, changing bedding, treating cages, nests and perches will help regulate the number of mites until they are eliminated.

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Chicken lice - how to get rid of them using folk remedies?

Instead of chemicals, you can use the following folk remedies:

• mix kerosene and vinegar in equal proportions to treat the plumage;

• take weekly baths from ash, powdered Pyrethrum, sand, taken in equal proportions;

• to treat the neck, ammonia mixed with kerosene is used;

• essential oils from eucalyptus and rosemary leaves;

• herbal infusions of wormwood, peppermint, wild rosemary and tansy.

Traditional methods of treating birds for parasites do not harm chickens and do not pose a threat to the health of birds . Natural ingredients do not cause side effects.

How to treat chicks and chickens - treatment features?

If there is a risk of chickens becoming infected with lice, it is necessary to regularly disinfect the chicken coop with special means. Do not use drugs for adult birds.

It is allowed to treat chicks with synthetic compounds based on ethanol . Ethyl alcohol will help clean the skin of chickens from chicken lice. In this case, it is necessary to avoid getting the products into the eyes and beaks of young animals. It is necessary to wipe any smooth surfaces in the chicken coop with an alcohol solution.

In addition to ethanol, the following formulations can be used to treat chickens:

• solutions with sodium hypochlorite - the product cannot be abused , because the chemical has a destructive effect on epithelial cells;
• chlorhexidine;
• glutaraldehydes;
• iodine-based formulations;
• phenolic compounds.

The latter are characterized by a complete absence of odor. Such compositions can be used together with cold water. During chemical treatment, you should hold the beak and cover the eyes of the chicks with your fingers to prevent synthetic compounds from getting into the lungs, esophagus and organs of vision.

Otherwise, the chicken may die from its injuries or become completely blind.

Ways to fight

At the first signs of head lice in chickens, you need to act immediately. The set of measures should include treatment of the entire livestock, poultry house and walking areas.

Preparing the chicken coop for processing

Without disinsection of the chicken coop, it is impossible to achieve complete destruction of ectoparasites. Chicken lice and their eggs can be found in the litter, crevices, corners and other secluded places, so disinfestation of the poultry house must be carried out simultaneously with the sanitization of the livestock.

You should proceed step by step:

Poultry house disinfection.

1. Treat all chickens, then transfer them to another room or send them out for walking (in the warm season).
2. Clean up droppings.
3. Rake the litter, spray it with an insecticidal solution or sprinkle it with powder. Treat walls and floors.
4. Wait a few hours, then remove the old organic matter and burn it. If the litter is not pre-treated, viable parasites will fall out of the straw during transport to the disposal site and will then be reintroduced into the house.
5. Scald the wooden objects inside the chicken coop with boiling water, and pass the flame of a gas burner or blowtorch over the metal elements.
6. Cover the floor with fresh bedding.

To disinfect the barn and utensils, you can use chlorine-containing household chemicals, but then chickens are allowed to be returned to the chicken coop only after the chlorine has evaporated.

It is more convenient to sanitize a room using smoke bombs with cypermethrin. This powerful insectoacaricide destroys larvae and adults of fluff eaters, ticks and other ectoparasites.

The “Fomor-Vet” and “Pawn-B” checkers have proven themselves well. They help to quickly and cost-effectively process all fixtures and interior surfaces of the barn. The consumption of funds is 30-50 g per 80-100 cubic meters. m, the minimum holding time is 3 hours (2 hours for aeration and 1 hour for ventilation).

Chemicals for treatment

Chickens can be cured of head lice using veterinary products intended for birds, cats and dogs. They are available in the form of drops or sprays.

The most effective are:

Chickens can be treated for lice using pet products.

1. "Frontline". Contains fipronil, an active substance that has a contact insectoacaricidal effect against lice, lice eaters, lice eaters, and ticks. The drug is packaged in polyethylene pipettes with a break-off tip or in polymer bottles equipped with a sprayer.
2. "Leopard". Contains 3 active components that enhance each other's action: fipronil, diflubenzuron and dicarboximide. Available in the form of drops, poured into polymer pipettes, or in the form of a spray.
3. “Unoiled.” It is produced in the form of an emulsion solution bottled in glass ampoules. Contains transmix and tetramixin - 2 powerful neurotoxins that have a detrimental effect on lice, lice, fleas and ticks. Used to treat laying hens, poultry houses, litter and other items. Before use, the product is diluted with water at the rate of 1 ml of “Neostomazan” per 1 liter of water.
4. “Dana-spray.” As an active ingredient it contains permethrin - the strongest insectoacaricidal substance of contact-intestinal action, effective against lice, lice and ticks. Available in cylinders equipped with a spray nozzle.
5. “Perol-A”. The basis of the drug is a synthetic pyrethroid, similar to natural permethrin. The oily liquid is packaged in dropper bottles, sprays and aerosol cans. Suitable for treating birds, mammals, premises and equipment.
6. “Butox.” The basis of the drug is deltamethrin, a synthetic insecticide from the pyrethroid group. The product is available in the form of drops, spray and aerosol. To treat birds or premises, prepare a working solution from a concentrated liquid - the drug is diluted with water according to the instructions.
7. "Celandine". The formula of the product includes 2 powerful insecticides - fipronil and permethrin. Initially, the product is intended for cats and dogs, but it also helps chickens get rid of lice.
8. “Foxim” or “Sebacil”. Analogs have the same composition, but are produced by different companies. To treat chickens or a poultry house, the method of spraying or spraying the working fluid is used (1 ml of the drug per 1 liter of water).
9. "Arpalit-Neo". The insecticidal spray contains permethrin and fenoxycarb - substances that destroy mallophages and prevent re-infection with lice. The product is intended for treating chickens and other birds.

Any spray is applied to the withers, where the bird can reach with its beak. Drops are used in a similar way.

During the day, the insecticide is distributed throughout the chicken’s body and absorbed by the epidermal cells.

After treatment with the listed means, any attempt by parasites to eat chicken skin or feathers will be the last. The amount of the drug is calculated in accordance with the weight of the bird and the manufacturer’s recommendations.

When chickens are affected by mallophagosis, you can use not only liquid but also dry agents. Deltamethrin powder is effective in the fight against ectoparasites.

To treat one chicken, 10-15 g of powder is enough, and for disinsection 1 sq. m of chicken coop will require 50-150 g. An analogue of “Deltamethrin” is “Insectal” powder. The drugs have the same composition, dosage and method of administration.

All chemicals have a detrimental effect on larvae and adults, but parasite eggs are resistant to poisons. If at the time of spraying or dusting another clutch is laid on the body of sick chickens, then after a few days viable larvae will emerge from the eggs.

To prevent a new wave of infection, birds need to be treated at least 2-3 times with a break of 7-12 days - this will help eliminate new individuals hatched from previously laid eggs.

The oral drug “Promectin” has proven itself well in the treatment of replacement young stock and broilers. The product contains ivermectin (1%) - a substance with a pronounced antiparasitic effect.

To get rid of lice, Promectin must be diluted with water and the resulting solution given to the birds to drink throughout the day. If necessary, the livestock can be re-treated after 2 weeks. The advantage of “Promectin” is that it helps to remove lice without labor-intensive dusting or spraying of each hen.

Folk remedies

Not only chemicals help get rid of chicken lice, but also proven folk methods:

Folk remedies used to kill chicken lice.

1. Kerosene. Infected chickens must be removed and each individually treated with an oily liquid. The substance blocks the respiratory tract of adults, partially dissolves the chitinous membrane of the larvae and weakens the offspring. The petroleum distillation product in combination with ammonia and benzene can also be used for prevention (a mixture of equal parts is periodically dripped onto the birds’ necks).
2. Table vinegar (9%). Dilute with water in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2, pour into a spray bottle and spray the plumage of the laying hens with the solution. The water-vinegar mixture has the same properties as kerosene and helps remove lice. It can also be used to disinfest the chicken coop.
3. Ash and sand baths. Chickens need them so that they can independently get rid of lice and mites living on the skin of their legs or under their feathers. Wide basins or available materials (car tires, hollow stumps, pallets, boxes, etc.) can be used as containers. For filling baths, a mixture of equal parts sand and ash with the addition of a small amount of peat and loamy soil is best.

Folk remedies are effective if the chicken coop contains no more than 15-20 birds.

For owners of large flocks (100 or more laying hens), it is more advisable to use chemical or biological agents that guarantee 100% results.

Herbs and plants

Chicken lice cannot tolerate the specific smell of some plants. If you lay out or hang bunches of such herbs in chicken coops, they will perform a deterrent function.

As a preventive measure you can use:

Chicken lice can be killed using plants.

• tansy;
• rosemary;
• sagebrush;
• wild rosemary;
• chamomile

As the pungent odor dissipates and the grass tufts dry out, they need to be renewed, replacing them with freshly harvested plants.

Natural insecticides can also be used in the form of a decoction:

1. Grind 300 g of chamomile, tansy and wild rosemary and place in a large saucepan or bucket.
2. Pour in 6 liters of boiling water, put the container on the fire and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Cool the finished broth, strain and use to treat the poultry house.

It is useful to spray the walls, floor and all objects in the chicken coop with this decoction.

You can use rosemary or eucalyptus essential oils as a deterrent: dissolve a few drops of the aromatic substance in water and spray the room or enclosure with the odorous liquid.

Powder made from dried Dalmatian chamomile flowers has strong insecticidal properties. In stores and pharmacies, the product is sold under the name “Pyrethrum” (Persian powder). It helps fight fleas, lice and ticks in birds and mammals, and at home it is used to get rid of ants, cockroaches, bedbugs and other insects.

How to use Pyrethrum.

The Persian powder contains special substances - pyrethrins, which have a paralytic effect on parasites.

“Pyrethrum” can be used in different ways:

1. Spray the dry powder directly onto the hens or indoors using a rubber bulb and other devices.
2. Treat internal surfaces and bedding with a ten percent water suspension. To prepare the mixture, mix 300 g of powder in 1 liter of water, pour into a bucket and add another 9 liters of water.
3. The infusion of “Pyrethrum” is even more effective. It must be prepared in the same way as the suspension, but before starting processing, let it brew for 12-24 hours.

“Pyrethrum” is a completely natural remedy, harmless to people, pets and agricultural livestock. The drug does not cause burns if it comes into contact with the skin and does not lead to poisoning if accidentally swallowed.

After treating laying hens, poultry houses or houses, the active substance disintegrates within 1-2 days, so no special cleaning is required after disinsection.

“Pyrethrum” does not cause resistance (addiction) and can be used against chicken lice repeatedly.

How to treat a chicken coop for lice and fleas?

Cleaning the area where poultry live reduces the risk of repeated parasitic infestation . Insect eggs could remain in the chicken coop, from which larvae may subsequently hatch.

Garbage, dirt, grain residues and droppings should be removed from the premises. It is necessary to change the straw or sawdust, remove contaminated rags and nests.

Chemical treatment is carried out using special products that can be purchased at hardware stores.

If disinfection with synthetic preparations is not planned, then steam cleaning can be used as an alternative option. To do this, you will need a steam cleaner - the device is often sold in electronics stores.

IMPORTANT. Heat treatment, unlike chemicals, is not capable of poisoning chickens if used incorrectly.

It is necessary to thoroughly clean the cracks, floors, and points of contact between parts of structures. It is recommended to treat hard-to-reach areas with aerosol products. After disinfection, all types of parasites die.

Perches and shelves for birds must be wiped with ammonia and other strong-smelling products. In this case, it is necessary to choose those chemicals that will not damage the respiratory system of chickens:

• Karbofos solution;

• aerosol spray Ecofleece or Get;

• aqueous solution of Butox.

The use of chlorine is strictly prohibited. After treatment, it is necessary to place the poultry in a temporary home.

The chicken coop should be quarantined and closed for 24-72 hours, during which large colonies of parasites should die. During this period, it will be necessary to seal the cracks and openings through which rodents can enter the house.

Chicken coop treatment

Remember that parasites are not only on the birds themselves, but also in the chicken coop. Insects and their eggs can be found in the litter, corners, and crevices, so the livestock and the chicken coop are treated simultaneously.

When carrying out the procedure, you need to proceed in stages:

• First, each chicken is processed and they must be moved to another room. If it's a warm time of year, you can send them out for a walk.
• Absolutely all litter is cleaned out.
• Next, you need to use a rake to thoroughly stir up the litter, after which it is treated with an insecticidal agent, which is also applied to the floor and walls.
• Then you should wait several hours, after which all organic matter is removed from the house and burned. Pre-treatment of the litter is carried out so that the insects die, otherwise during transportation they will fall out throughout the area and will soon fall on the chickens again.
• At the last stage, it is necessary to process all the elements; wooden ones are scalded with boiling water, but metal ones can be burned with fire; for this, a blowtorch or gas burner is used.

Only after these steps can a new bedding be laid. To carry out disinfection, it is allowed to use chlorine-containing products, but when using them, the bird can be returned to the chicken coop only after the chlorine has completely evaporated.

Quite convenient to use are smoke bombs that use cypermethrin, which destroys lice, ticks and other parasites. Among the most popular are Fomor-Vet and Peshka-V, which are effective, easy to use, and low in cost. Approximate consumption for 80 - 100 cubic meters. is 30 - 50 g. Carbonation takes 2 hours, aeration takes only 1 hour.

Are chicken lice dangerous for humans?

In rare cases, chicken lice can attack a person or be acquired by accident after contact with an infested bird. At the same time, the insect cannot harm people - the skin of mammals is denser, so the parasite will not be able to feed on the keratinized epithelium and will soon die of starvation.

Neither hair nor blood are suitable for consumption . Because of this, chicken lice use humans as a temporary host until they migrate to the bird's body.

REFERENCE. To reproduce, parasites need a temperature of +40°C, which is present in the down of chickens. The temperature on human skin and hair is lower, so insects are deprived of the opportunity to lay eggs.

At the same time, a person can become infected with an infection carried by lice. Bacteria are transmitted through open wounds, scratches, and abrasions.

Parasites gain access to blood vessels and necessarily taste blood to determine whether it is suitable for them to feed on. To prevent infection, it is recommended to cover wounds with adhesive tape or apply a tight bandage to the wound.

If lice accidentally get on your skin or hair, you should take a shower or hot bath . After this, it is recommended to comb thoroughly to remove insect bodies. To eliminate chicken lice, 1 procedure is sufficient.

Spread of parasites and danger to other animals and people

A chicken louse can bite a person and even stay on his body for some time, but it cannot live and reproduce there for a long time. As for other animals, it depends on the type of insect, since a variety of types of these pests can parasitize on one body. Unlike fleas, chicken lice can be easily removed from hair by simply washing your hair, but this does not mean that contact with them is completely safe.

Feeding on the host's blood, the insect secretes a special liquid that prevents the blood in the wound from clotting. This causes discomfort in the bird, and can also contribute to infection with infectious diseases that are transmitted directly by lice. Parasites almost always appear in chickens that are kept in unsanitary conditions. This further increases the chance of contracting various diseases.

As mentioned above, chicken lice can greatly slow down weight gain in young birds, reduce it in adults, and also reduce the quality of meat and eggs. In addition, the bite of such a parasite can be not only very painful, but even dangerous. Among the diseases transmitted to humans directly or through consumption of contaminated meat, four main ones can be distinguished:

• encephalitis;
• salmonellosis;
• brucellosis;
• helminthiasis

It is also worth noting the possibility of an allergic reaction to a bite. You should be especially careful when cleaning areas where infected chicken was kept, and it is better to think about timely prevention of the disease.

Is it possible to eat meat from infected poultry?

Lice are carriers of severe infections and are often carriers of helminths. The eggs of the latter can get into poultry meat through abrasions or wounds.

To protect yourself from infection, you must avoid eating meat from sick poultry.

IMPORTANT. A similar warning applies to chicken eggs obtained from a sick chicken. Embryos may also contain pathogens and helminth eggs.

Can chicken lice spread to bulls?

Parasites practically never leave their host during their life cycle. As an exception, we can highlight situations when the bird dies. Insects migrate from a dead body to the external environment to search for a new host.

Only birds can become a host organism for chicken lice. This type of insect cannot feed on the blood and fur of mammals. Therefore, transmission of parasites from sick chickens to cattle is impossible.

Where do lice live?

Lice live directly on the chicken's body. They stay on the skin and cling to it with their claws. When examining, it is especially important to examine the following parts of the birds’ body:

• armpits (under the wings);
• head (especially the front part);
• back of the head and neck;
• nona near the anus;
• chicken legs.

Most often, lice are found where it is easy for them to bite the skin of a chicken until it bleeds, for example, on the head. The indicated places are precisely their preferred ones. But if parasites actively multiply and remain on the bird’s body for a long time, they can also be found on other parts of the body.

Since parasites are very small, it is worth using a flashlight or other lighting device to identify them.

Do other poultry such as turkeys and ducks have lice?

Small insects can infect other bird species besides chickens and roosters . Not only domestic turkeys, geese and ducks, but also sparrows and pigeons often become carriers of parasites.

Some types of chicken lice are able to migrate on the fur of rats. As a result of constant movement from one owner to another, it is necessary to take preventive measures for all poultry on the farm.

Features of processing large numbers of birds

It is quite difficult to combat chicken louse infestation with a large number of poultry. On the one hand, the infection spreads faster, but on the other hand, you cannot pay attention to each individual. For treatment in such situations, they often resort to potent chemicals. It is considered acceptable to change the concentration of drugs in the solution if it is intended to be done.

Most often, two potent drugs are used:

1. Butox.
2. Deltamethrin powder.

Each of them has specific application.

Butox

The standard dosage of Butox is one milliliter ampoule per 4 liters of water at room temperature. If it is necessary to treat a large flock against chicken lice, the product is diluted in ten liters. Dosage - 2.5 milliliters (that is, two and a half ampoules). Butox in breeding is good because it is used not only on chickens, but also on chicken coops.

Deltamethrin powder

The powder is used as a topping. Birds are sprinkled at the rate of up to five grams of powder per animal.

Prevention methods and how to prevent lice from appearing in poultry

To reduce the likelihood of chicken infection, the following measures should be taken:

• protect the chicken coop from rodents, street birds and wild animals - patch holes in the walls and roof of the room;
• for walking it is necessary to use mesh pens that limit contact with other birds;
• the chicken coop should be spacious;
• keep the bird barn clean: regularly replace bedding, provide new food and water;
• remove garbage : excrement, leftover food, shells and feathers;
• to repel lice, you need to spread herbal mixtures of tansy, wormwood, and lavender in the chicken coop;
• Check your chickens' plumage every month for lice.

Strict adherence to preventive measures will help prevent the development of parasitic disease.

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Prevention

It is easier to prevent the appearance of unwanted insects than to treat the chicken coop for lice and fleas. If you follow certain rules, the risk of pests is reduced:

1. You should regularly clean the chicken coop, change the bedding, and treat the feeders with boiling water.
2. In a small poultry house you can hang bunches of wormwood. The smell of the grass will repel the louse.
3. Seal cracks and holes in the coop to keep rats out. Destroy the nests of wild birds.
4. Give the chickens a bath of sand and ash.

Preventive measures do not always help. Therefore, you should inspect your chicken's feathers once every two weeks. It is better to do this with a magnifying glass and on the street, since the chicken louse is small in size and not easy to detect.