How to remove lice from chickens as quickly as possible and prevent their appearance

how to remove lice from chickens
How to remove lice from chickens

Hello! Six months ago, I decided on a kind of feat. Usually I took fresh chicken eggs from a neighbor through a couple of houses, but I wanted to expand my farm.

A mini coop was erected, and the first inhabitants appeared in it. Finally, I didn’t have to go and strain other people.

But another problem appeared: my hens began to appear bare skin. It turned out that this is the activity of lice. It’s good that I knew a good remedy. Want to learn how to get lice out of chickens? Then we read the article as soon as possible.

Lice (poohopoedoids) in chickens: how to get rid of parasites

Chickens, like all animals, are attacked by parasitic insects. They have parasitic certain species that feed only on birds, but some can attack people, such as fleas. Cases of infection of chickens with insects parasitizing on the skin are not uncommon.

Important!
This leads to problems with the pen, provokes biting, affects the productivity of layers and broilers. Many insects are carriers of infectious diseases and a natural reservoir for pathogens.

Chicken lice spread diseases such as spirochetosis, Newcastle disease, flu, adenovirus and reovirus infections.

Let's talk about how to identify lice in chickens and how to get rid of these parasites in the chicken coop.

Species of parasites

Chicken lice are the popular name for down-eaters, they are also mallophagi, and the disease itself is called mallofagosis. In total, more than 2,600 downy-eaters are known, of which about 2,300 are parasitic on birds. In Russia, 22 varieties are of greatest importance for agriculture; each of them has its own characteristics.

Allocate a family of poohoedov and peroeda. In practice, the division of down-eaters into species does not matter, since the image of parasitism and the measures to combat them are the same.

In addition to chickens, mallophages infect geese, ducks, turkeys, guinea fowl, and many other species of poultry and wild birds.

The cannibals are host-specific, that is, parasites living on birds do not attack mammals, and vice versa.

Biology of Malophages

Chicken lice are small wingless insects. They have a flat, rounded or elongated segmented body of yellow-brown color with dark stripes and spots. The head is wider than the body, has small antennae. The size of small phages is from 1.5 to 2 mm.

Three pairs of paws end with tenacious claws, with which the parasite is fixed on the body of the host. Also for this purpose, the insect uses the jaw.

Advice!
Feather-eater eat down, feather, exfoliated particles of skin. They do not drink blood, but they are able to swallow the discharge protruding from scratches and abrasions.

The female lays eggs of white color, sticking them to the down, feathers or body. The length of the eggs is 0.5-1.5 mm, they are oval in shape and can be well seen under a magnifying glass.

After 5-18 days, larvae emerge from the eggs that are outwardly similar to adults. Within 12-20 days, the larvae molt three times and turn into sexually mature mallophages.

The fecundity of downy-eater is very high. One pair during life can give up to 100 thousand offspring. The entire development cycle lasts about 25-30 days and depends on the temperature and humidity of the environment. The most favorable conditions are 25-30 ° C and 70-78% humidity.

Mallophages spend their whole lives on the host’s body. In the external environment, they are able to exist from 2 to 4 days, less often up to 8 days.

Symptoms of the disease

The downy eaters infect birds of all ages, but young animals suffer especially from them. The source of lice is sick hens, care items and equipment. Birds can become infected through cages, perches, nests, and dust baths.

A significant role in the distribution of mallophages is played by roosters. It was noted that the number of parasites on roosters is significantly higher than on chickens. This is because males pay less attention to cleaning their plumage and rarely use dust and sand baths.

The peak of the disease usually occurs in spring or autumn. Crowded content, poor care, a poor diet and dampness in the house contribute to malophagosis. Compared to mammals, birds are harder to tolerate. The following manifestations will be signs of parasitism on chickens of downy-eater.

Lice do not like light, so they hide in secluded places - under the wings, in the near-canal region, on the lateral and lower parts of the body. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to make out, as they are able to adapt to the color of the plumage of the owner. With a high number of eaters, chickens go bald, more often feathers fall on the back, stomach and neck.

If you carefully examine the feather, you can find holes in it that the parasite eats up as it moves through the body of the bird.

Attention!
Several types of parasites can parasitize on one chicken at once; they accumulate in different places. Some cannibals affect the feather cover in the head and neck, leaving the skin in these places bare. Parasites also affect the eyes, outflows from the eyes appear and inflammation develops (kerato-conjunctivitis).

Young feathers prefer chicken lice. Therefore, during the molting period, the symptoms of the disease worsen. Hens are restless, constantly rummaging in plumage, can peck themselves, pluck a feather.

With a strong degree of invasion on bald skin, abrasions and injuries, particles of exfoliated epithelium, crusts of dried blood and exudate, and the release of parasites and their eggs are visible. The same signs can be seen on the crest and earrings. A decrease in live weight, a drop in egg production.

The diagnosis is made when fuzzy eater and their eggs are found on the body of a bird. To facilitate inspection, the bird is placed under direct sunlight for 5-10 minutes or warmed by a lamp. Parasites crawl out to heat and become clearly visible.

It is impossible to detect lice on a dead bird, because they move from the cooling corpse to more favorable habitats.

Mallofagoses must be distinguished from skin diseases caused by microscopic mites (scabies). To do this, it is necessary to examine the scraping of the upper layer of the skin under a microscope for ticks.

Fight

The treatment of lice in chickens consists in treating the bird with insecticides. It is better to use solutions of drugs, spraying them with a bird from a garden sprayer. The plumage should be evenly moistened.

You can use powders. They will have to be rubbed into the plumage of each chicken personally, while observing the recommended dosage. If possible, avoid getting the medicine in the eyes and nose.

Important!
With the cellular content of chickens, they process it directly in the cages, with the floor, they spray it in the dark at night on roosts.

Lice should be treated twice as insecticides do not kill parasite eggs. In the warm season, the interval is 9-12 days, in the cold - 12-16 days.

Drugs for treatment

  1. 0.25% aqueous cyodrin emulsion;
  2. 2% aqueous suspension of entobactrin;
  3. 5-7% thuringin;
  4. 0.05% dibrom;
  5. 0.3-0.5% aqueous solution of chlorophos;
  6. 0.5% permethrin emulsion;
  7. 0.7% dicresyl;
  8. 0.3% trichloromethaphos-3 solution;
  9. butox, neostomozan (in ampoules or vials) - 1 ml per 1 liter of water;
  10. pyrethrum - powder;
  11. 7% Sevina powder - 15 g per head;
  12. aerosol "Ecoflis";
  13. deltamethrin - powder.

These insect repellents can be bought at a veterinary pharmacy. Pyrethrum is also sold in a regular pharmacy.

If you haven't found anything, use flea medications for dogs and cats sold at pet stores.

Insecticide solutions are used in the same dosages as are recommended for washing pets. In small farms, in extreme cases, you can use flea drops - "Celandine", "Dana", "Bars", "Beafar", "Front Line" and others. They need to be applied to the skin of each chicken once according to the weight of the bird.

As for the means for the destruction of insects used in everyday life (aerosols of the type "Dichlorvos"), their use is better to postpone. Firstly, they can be toxic to poultry, and secondly, they will have a high consumption, which financially burdens.

Processing the chicken coop is carried out simultaneously with the treatment of the bird. That which is not afraid of fire is burned with a blowtorch or gas burner. All surfaces and litter are sprayed with insecticide solutions:

  • 10% aqueous suspension of pyrethrum;
  • 0.25% aqueous emulsion of Sevin;
  • 0.5% aqueous emulsion of malathion;
  • neostomazan, butox at a dilution of 1: 200.

The most affordable poultry processing facility is kalbofos.

Chickens must be removed from the premises during processing. After spraying, withstand a few hours, and if possible 1-2 days. After exposure, change the litter, wash the feeders and drinking bowls with water.

Advice!
Scare insects, parasites of grass: wormwood, tansy, chamomile, ledum. They are scattered on the litter.

It makes sense to use such folk remedies in the fight against chicken lice only in small farms. However, under conditions of LPH, they should not be neglected.

Prevention

Prevention of the disease is carried out by the following methods.

  • Do not allow the introduction of parasites to the farm with a new livestock.
  • Periodically (once a month) hens are examined for lice.
  • At the floor, baths are arranged for bathing birds: wood ash and fine sifted sand in equal quantities. You can add pyrethrum powder to the mixture.
  • With a high degree of invasion, chlorophos is added to several areas of dry litter at the rate of 2 g per square meter. (by active substance). Digging in such a litter, hens will disinfect the feather cover.

Lice cause a lot of problems for chickens, but getting rid of them in the chicken coop is forever easy enough. Periodically inspect the stock for parasites and, if necessary, treat with available insecticides.

We remove chickens from skin parasites

How to get rid of chicken lice in a chicken coop? How to protect poultry from fleas, ticks and bugs? Agricultural forums are literally full of such issues.

The fact is that without proper care, domestic hens become carriers of skin parasites. They are not even recommended to be kept with other types of pets and birds.

Hens themselves suffer from proximity to skin parasites. At a minimum, this can lead to reduced chicken productivity, and in the worst case, laying hens can even die. In fact, getting rid of lice is quite simple, but the activity is troublesome and time-consuming.

Signs of Availability

If, for no apparent reason, the egg production of chickens has subsided, it is quite possible that skin parasites started to appear in the chicken coop. It is very problematic to notice fleas and lice during a quick visual inspection. But there are pronounced signs of the presence of skin parasites in the chicken coop.

Birds show nervousness, often pick feathers with their beaks or paws, and eggs poorly. Chicken suffering from lice or fleas quickly loses weight. If in the chicken family, you began to notice similar symptoms, then take the bird and see it better.

Attention!
Ticks appear in open areas of the body, mainly on the legs. Lice and fleas prefer more secluded places and burrow into the feathers of birds. If the infected chicken fluff feathers, it becomes noticeable dark spots, similar to moles. This is chicken lice. Sometimes the abundance of these parasites can literally terrify.

It is necessary to get rid of lice as soon as possible. The fact is that they lay eggs in the feathers of birds and hatch offspring. Therefore, the number of parasites in the chicken coop is growing exponentially.

In order to get rid of bedbugs, lice and fleas, it is not enough to use preparations for chickens, you will need a complete sanitization of the chicken coop!

Ways to combat skin parasites in the chicken coop can be divided into two parts: folk and chemical. Both techniques have been tried and tested for a long time.

Folk remedies

Inside the chicken coop and in the nests of birds, you can lay out branches of some plants. It is noted that tansy, rosemary, rosemary, and wormwood help get rid of fleas.

Thanks to their pungent odor, they can protect your hens from blood-sucking insects for a long time. It is worth noting that it is best to lay out plants for prevention. But even at the stage of infection of chickens, they will also perform an important function.

Oven ash helps to get rid of lice well. She can sprinkle the entire interior of the chicken coop. Moreover, it is recommended to install a large container filled with ash inside the house. The hens will take their own therapeutic baths. This is probably the easiest and most effective way to eliminate parasites.

Vegetable oil helps get rid of ticks. Such a tool does not need to smear the whole chicken. Usually they drip directly onto a sucking tick and it lags behind.

After processing, the chickens must be driven out into the street, and the chicken coop should be shed with steep boiling water from the inside. This is done so that there is no repeated invasion of parasites.

Important!
The question of how to remove bugs will help to solve the mixture of tar and vegetable oil. The resulting composition must process the entire interior space of the room.

It must be recalled that bedbugs can exist for quite a long time without their carrier. Therefore, pay great attention to internal processing.

Waste machine oil mixed with creolin helps to get rid of ticks. The resulting composition is recommended to process the legs of birds and perches.

All of these folk methods do not give a 100% guarantee of getting rid of parasites. But they have long and successfully been used in private farms. Therefore, the decision to use this or that method is yours.

It is necessary to explain that it is good to use folk remedies when there are no more than 20 layers in your chicken coop.

The fact is that almost all popular councils are built on the individual processing of each bird. If your farm contains more than a hundred birds, then processing each chicken individually will be very problematic.

Chemical methods of control

In order to get rid of lice, you can use drugs designed to solve similar problems in cats and dogs. You can buy them at any pet store.

It is better to get drops, they are rubbed into the skin of birds. Do not purchase drugs that are based on chlorine.This substance has the ability to accumulate in muscle tissue, which will negatively affect the quality of chicken meat.

Advice!
Well-proven tools such as: Bars, Neotomazan, Stomazon, Front Line, Perol-A. Using these tools, do not overdo it. No matter how you want to help the chickens get rid of bugs and ticks, the dosage of the drugs must be strictly observed. Otherwise, you can harm birds.

Some farmers prefer to use old and proven means. These include the processing of chicken coop dust. After the measures taken, the parasites disappear guaranteed and for a long time.

When working with dust, extreme care must be taken. This is a very toxic substance and if used too much, it can lead to the death of chickens. The same can be said about karbofos and chlorophos.

In large farms and poultry farms, Butox is widely used. This product is usually made in the form of an aqueous solution that must be applied to the feathers of chickens.

The Deltamethrin powder has the same effect. This powder is also applied to the plumage of birds. When working with the drug, be careful not to get the product in the respiratory tract.

Some farmers fumigate the premises with sulfur. This is a very effective way to get rid of fleas. But there is no unequivocal opinion on the use of sulfur. This is a very toxic chemical that can destroy not only parasites, but also the chickens themselves.

Remember that a one-time treatment of the entire chicken population is recommended. Therefore, if your household has a lot of poultry, it makes sense to call for help from neighbors. Large farms typically employ all personnel to sanitize birds.

All traces of bird activity are completely cleaned from the premises, bedding and straw are removed from the nests. The chicken coop is thoroughly washed and scalded with hot water.

Attention!
You can re-whiten the walls using a mixture of bleach and hydrated lime. It is worth noting that the room is also better to wash with bleach.

After the smell of chlorine disappears, the chickens can be returned to their usual habitat, after covering the floor with fresh litter.

Preventive measures

We sincerely hope that the article on how to eliminate parasites was informative for you. Instead of a conclusion, we considered it necessary to give you some advisory advice on the prevention of skin parasites. It is much easier to prevent a problem than wasting energy on solving it.

  • Try to protect the chicken coop from the penetration of rats and mice. These rodents are the main carriers of lice and fleas.
  • Regularly clean both the inside of the chicken coop and the surrounding area.
  • Often engage in visual inspection of layers. Infected individuals must be isolated from other birds.
  • When buying a new laying hen, keep it for a while in a separate room.
  • For other birds, a new one should be released only after preventive treatment.

Symptoms of the appearance of chicken lice, a means to get rid of parasites

Poultry farmers sometimes have to deal with such a problem as chicken lice. The presence of these parasites in birds is called malophagosis.

There are more than 40 species of arthropods that feed on feathers and down, and some of them - on blood. On one bird sometimes several species of lice live at the same time.

However, the main danger lies in the fact that hen eaters carry dangerous infections, most often helminths. An infected chicken can carry pathogens. Eating her meat is dangerous to humans.

Where do lice come from

Even if the room in which the bird is located is clean - this is not a 100% guarantee of an obstacle to the spread of malophagosis. Wild birds (sparrows, crows, pigeons) are the main source of the disease.

Important!
Upon contact with infected individuals, lice are transferred to chickens. A small insect (from 1 to 5 mm) remains invisible to humans for some time, while multiplying, it infects healthy birds.

The parasite spends the entire life cycle on the bird. Eggs laid by insects on feathers develop from 4 to 7 days. In general, the development of an insect from an egg to an adult is about three to four weeks.

Symptoms and course

Veterinarians confirm the diagnosis of malophagosis, in the presence of adult lice on the body of the bird. A photo of chicken lice will help to independently determine their presence.

The main symptoms are:

  • the infected chicken becomes restless, often trying to comb feathers with its beak;
  • with prolonged parasitization of poohoedov in chickens, some of the feathers are lost, skin areas are exposed;
  • diseased individuals lose weight and also reduce egg production (an average of 11 percent);
  • young birds infected with chicken parasites gain weight poorly;
  • in the absence of adequate treatment, the presence of eating at chickens becomes the cause of death.

Many people have a question how to get rid of lice (fluff and eating) in chickens. On average, louse lives 3-4 weeks. But the ability to lay off a large number of larvae and a short incubation period allows the couple to have 120,000 offspring in a few months.

Therefore, the fight against lice should begin immediately after the establishment of this disease in poultry.

It is easier to cope with this problem with timely treatment. There are several ways: chemical and folk remedies, we will consider them below.

Chemicals

It is considered the most effective. Ready-made drugs that are sold in veterinary clinics act on an adult insect, affecting the nervous system and causing its death. For poultry, these drugs are not dangerous. How to properly treat chickens from lice with chemicals is indicated in the instructions attached to them.

The most effective use of drops of "Stronghold", "Bars", "Neotomazan", "Front Line" and some other means intended for pets. After such treatment, the lice in chickens will disappear. To process the premises in order to destroy parasites on the floor and walls of the chicken coop, the liquid “Karbofoz” is used.

Attention!
Successfully applying sprays and aerosols to kill lice. With a small number of poultry houses, means used to combat human parasites help to get rid of food-eaters in chickens. For example - spray "Nyuda." However, all of these drugs do not affect the larvae. Therefore, after some time, re-processing is required.

To destroy the larvae that appear from the eggs after 7-10 days, re-treatment is carried out. Spraying is effective if carried out scrupulously, so that the whole body of the chicken is disinfected.

It is important to consider that during processing insects try to crawl onto the bird’s neck. In addition to spraying, ash-sand baths should be installed for dry bathing of hens, adding insecticides to the mixture of ash and sand.

Folk remedies

Supporters of folk methods know how to get lice out of chickens. The effect of kerosene is effective. From it, not only adults die, but the chitinous membrane partially dissolves. Vinegar exposure is similar to kerosene.

It can be used diluted in the ratio - one part of 9 percent vinegar to two parts of water. A mixture of vinegar and kerosene can be used to process chicken feathers. From this procedure, parasites die.

A mixture of kerosene, benzene and ammonia is also used to treat the premises and chickens. The insect is scared away by its smell. Essential oils of rosemary and eucalyptus contribute to their removal.

From time immemorial, the remedies for lice in chickens were considered branches of tansy, ledum and chamomile flowers. The smell of these plants can scare insect parasites from the premises.

Prevention

To prevent lice from chickens, how to deal with the occurrence of this problem? It is important to carry out preventive measures:

  • processing rooms with steam or boiling water;
  • timely removal of food debris and litter;
  • regular change of litter;
  • exclusion of contact of poultry with wild ones.

It is recommended to install sand baths with the addition of ash. Be sure to periodically examine the feathers and skin of chickens so as not to miss the onset of the disease.

An effective result is achieved with constant monitoring of poultry and adequate treatment. Conducting preventive measures will not allow relapse.

What to do if a chicken has lice or fleas?

Chicken lice and fleas not only cause itching and irritation, but also lead to exhaustion, and sometimes even death in birds. The worst thing is that they are carriers of infections.

What is the danger?

Lice and chicken fleas are parasites that feed on the blood of their prey. The most common species among chickens are red chicken ticks and chicken fleas. They can appear not only due to the contamination of the chicken coop, but other animals, such as, for example, wild birds flying nearby, can spread them.

Advice!
Both types of bloodsuckers primarily cause severe irritation and anxiety in chickens affected, birds constantly itch and pinch themselves under feathers. Over time, they comb the upper layers of the epidermis and tear out their feathers themselves.

As the parasite lesion increases, the hens cease to rush and move actively, soon anemia and anemia begin to develop in them - this can be seen from the pale crest.

After this, their exhaustion begins and the last stage is death. In addition, the most terrible fact is that, like fleas in chickens, lice are also carriers of infections.

First of all, it can be brucellosis, salmonellosis, trypanosomiasis, in rare cases pathogens of plague and encephalitis were found with them. Absolutely all chicken fleas and red chicken lice are carriers of helminth eggs and with bites, the probability of infection with worms is very high.

All this can spread not only to other animals and birds on the site, but also to humans through the bites and meat of slaughtered birds.

Eggs laid during the removal of fleas and lice are not recommended for consumption, as the chemicals that were used through the circulatory system enter the egg yolk. If a person has sensitivity to such drugs, an allergic reaction can be caused.

There are several ways to get rid of lice and fleas: they can be divided into chemicals, physical effects and tools based on the experience of poultry farmers. In order for the treatment to be successful, it is necessary to take into account the size of the chicken coop premises and the number of hens.

It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions and observe the rules of personal safety during processing.

Chemicals

The most effective means to remove parasites are chemical. For the most part, they are safe if they do not enter the digestive system of the bird and into the eyes.

Attention!
If the chicken coop is small and contains 10-20 chickens, drops for external use such as Stronghold, Frontline, Bars, Advantage will do just fine, even if they are intended for treating dogs and cats.

You can also treat each chicken separately with a solution with an ampoule or powder with special peritroids. It is worth paying attention to other pets, especially birds with which chickens can come into contact, in order to avoid re-infection.

Processing the chicken coop is also an important component of treatment, since parasitic insects often hide in crevices, holes, in litter, in nests, in accumulated dirt, etc. This can be done using Karbofos fluid or concentrated aerosols Get, Tsifoks, Kukarach.

Tools such as Raptor, Raid are less convenient and effective, moreover, they are expensive compared to previous ones. If there are a lot of affected chickens and they are kept in a large room, a good economical option would be the basis for Butox solution (1 ml per 4 l of water).

The second good tool for treating a large chicken coop is Deltamethrin powder. For chickens, it is used by spraying on feathers and rubbing it on the entire surface of the skin. To cover the powder of a large chicken coop, a special sprayer is required

It is important that neither Deltamethrin's powder nor Butox get into the eyes and respiratory tract of the chicken, therefore, the head from fleas and lice is not treated and the agent is applied individually to each individual.

It is also necessary to deal with fleas and lice in the correct order - first you need to cure every chicken from parasitic insects and temporarily relocate them from the chicken coop.

After this, you need to completely process the chicken coop, hens should not be in it for 1 to 3 days after processing, so that all fleas or lice and their eggs die. The final stage of the fight against parasites is the general cleaning.

It is necessary to clean everything - the floor from the litter, the walls and the cracks in them, perch, nests, feeding trough, completely replace the litter, get rid of garbage and ventilate the room.

Physical impact

It is safer but less effective treatment with physical means. Rather, these are methods that delay the rapid spread of parasites.

Important!
For birds, this is the installation of spacious troughs with a mixture of ash and sand, the hens bathe in it and partially get rid of bloodsuckers.

The mixture must remain dry. For the chicken coop, this is treatment with boiling water or steam, cleaning the room of the remaining food, dirt, litter and other things.

Fighting folk methods

To treat chickens from fleas and lice, vinegar is used, sometimes with the addition of kerosene, to wipe. Another mixture is benzene, ammonia and kerosene, which has a strong odor that repels lice and fleas.

It can be processed with both hens and premises. The smell of a broom made of wormwood herbs is also unpleasant for small bloodsuckers and may interfere with their return.

The best preventative measure is to keep the coop clean. If you regularly clean the litter, change the litter and remove the litter, the larvae and eggs of lice and fleas will have nowhere to settle and they will be constantly carried out with the litter.

Lice in hens: how to remove folk methods?

Currently, around the world such a branch of agriculture as livestock and poultry is booming. Poultry is one of the main sources of meat on the market. All this requires poultry farmers to rationally maintain, care for them and prevent disease.

Parasites

Chickens can get sick with a variety of diseases: infectious, non-infectious, congenital, injuries are very common. The so-called parasitic diseases occupy a considerable part in this list.

Advice!
Parasitic diseases are a pathology caused by parasitic arthropods that live on the body or in the body of their master, feed on his expense. These include diseases caused by fleas, ticks, lice, protozoa, helminth infections and others.

All of them to one extent or another violate the function of the body.

It is very important that pediculosis in chickens can be detrimental to their health. First of all, egg laying, as well as the weight of the bird, is reduced. Adult individuals calmly tolerate the disease, but the chicks can die, because they are poorly protected and can not fight pests.

Manifestations. Treatment

Some of the arthropods listed above are called the so-called poohoedy and spoofers, as they feed on the hairline of birds. Let's take a closer look at lice. Chicken lice are not uncommon.

Lice belong to the insect family, therefore, they have all the characteristics characteristic of them: small size, their body is divided into 3 parts. There are 3 pairs of legs.About 40 species of these insects are known for hens, but the control measures for all of them are the same.

Lice in chickens can appear due to poor feeding, deterioration of conditions, decreased immunity, as well as in contact with other sick animals, such as wild birds.

The main manifestations of pediculosis (malophagosis), as this infection is called, may be the presence of yellow-brown parasites on the feathers of the bird. Their sizes are from one to 5 - 6 mm. There may be a decrease in body weight, nervousness, frequent scratching of the affected area.

It should be noted that measures to combat this ailment are very diverse. Insecticides (substances that cause the death of harmful insects) are widely used, they can be in the form of ointments, sprays, solutions. Organophosphorus compounds are also widely used, but they are very toxic; disinfectants, drugs such as Inkur, Butoks are very effective.

Popular remedies of medicine are also very popular. When carrying out a complex of therapeutic measures, it is important to call a specialist - a veterinarian.

Attention!
It is interesting that the severity of the course, the number of lice on the animal directly depends on external factors, such as humidity and the chicken breed.

There are breeds with a short beak, as a result of which the animal will not be able to clean itself of parasites and thereby their number will increase rapidly, as they multiply rapidly.

Folk remedies

How to remove lice from chickens using folk remedies? Many poultry farmers know that external parasites are sensitive to certain herbs and substances.

To combat them can be used: cooked ointments with mercury with pork fat, wormwood and many other bitter herbs, as well as plants with a specific smell, they repel insects well.

A very effective method is ash, you can add sand. It is recommended to sprinkle it in a cage or sprinkle feathers of a bird.

Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that lice in hens is not a very dangerous, but at the same time widespread disease that can cause the death of chicks, reduce the productivity of egg laying, which will affect the profit of the owner - the breeder.

Lice and fleas in chickens: methods to combat dangerous bloodsuckers and the prevention of their appearance

Chicken fleas and lice are far from a harmless phenomenon. In addition to itching and skin irritation, parasitic insects harm the body of birds, causing exhaustion and a decrease in immunity.

Lice and fleas are carriers of various infectious diseases. Therefore, if insects are found in the plumage of hens, it is necessary to immediately begin to fight them.

What are parasites dangerous?

Lice and fleas are common parasites that can be found in almost any chicken coop. The probability of infection of chickens with parasite insects is higher if the premises are not properly maintained. Unsanitary conditions in the chicken coop and in the adjacent area are a direct way of infection of chickens with lice and fleas.

Important!
Fleas and lice cause severe skin irritation in chickens. But infection can occur even if the birds live in ideal conditions. Lice and fleas fall into their feathers when in contact with other birds and animals, or while walking in open areas.

Getting on the skin of a bird, insects begin to actively feed on the blood of the victim. In birds, severe irritation begins. They itch, pluck feathers in all accessible places. Over time, the number of parasites becomes threatening. Hens stop rushing, practically do not move. Then the hens begin anemia, exhaustion.

The worst consequence of parasite infection of birds is the risk of infection with infectious diseases. Lice and fleas carry many diseases: brucellosis, salsalmonellosis, trypanosomiasis, mycoplasmosis or plague, encephalitis, etc. Not only chickens, but also their host, can suffer from infections.

Despite the fact that chicken lice and fleas on humans do not live long, they can manage to infect a person with a dangerous disease with a bite. The disease can penetrate the human body when eating meat from sick poultry. Lice and fleas carry many diseases that are dangerous for chickens.

Signs of chicken infection by insects

To successfully combat parasites, it is important to detect them on the body of chickens in time. Visually, it is easier to detect fleas on birds, as they settle on the legs, beak and around the eyes of birds.

Lice climb deep beneath feathers, so it’s almost impossible to see them while watching the bird from the side. It is especially difficult to immediately notice lice on the breeds of chickens with dense plumage: Kokhinhin, Brahma, Paduan.

But even a simple observation of the behavior of birds can provide information about their infection with parasites.

The following symptoms indicate the appearance of lice and fleas in the chicken coop:

  • Loss of birds feather in some parts of the body.
  • Restless chicken behavior.
  • Poor appetite.
  • Performance reduction.
  • Mortality among hatched chickens.
  • A touch of brown around the eyes.

Parasite Control Rules

Measures to destroy fleas and lice in the chicken coop are not complicated, but they must be carried out with great care. Insects quickly spread both in the body of birds and in all nooks and crannies.

Advice!
If chickens have fleas or lice, the chicken coop must be treated. Therefore, it is important to use such means of destroying lice and fleas in order to minimize harm to chickens and get rid of adult insects and their larvae as much as possible.

The plumage of chickens, as well as all corners of the house, are directly treated with the selected insecticide. Before treatment with poisons in the chicken coop, a thorough cleaning is mandatory. All litter is burned, nests and walls are burned with a blowtorch or gas burner. Walls and floors are washed with a 10% pyrethrum solution or sprayed with an insecticide.

Chemicals

Chemical products for the destruction of chicken fleas and lice are most effective. Their use is especially recommended when the farm has a large number of birds that need to be processed at the same time.

Antiparasitic agents treat simultaneously all hens, including young animals and chickens, as well as all surfaces in the aviary and chicken coop. Chemicals should be used in strict accordance with the instructions, so as not to cause poisoning of the bird.

The plumage of chickens and walls can be treated with Butoks solution. If fleas and lice are wound up in a chicken coop, it is worthwhile to carry out antiparasitic treatment of all animals and birds that were close to or in contact with chickens.

Effective means for the destruction of chicken fleas and lice are drops Bars, Advantage, Stronghold. These specific preparations for cats and dogs do their job well on chickens.

The plumage of chickens can also be treated with aerosols Butoks, Combat, Raid, Raptor. There are also liquids in ampoules (Kukaracha, Karbofos, Tsifoks), which are diluted according to the instructions and sprayed using a sprayer. Feathers of chickens can be dusted with Deltamethrin, Advantage, Dana powders.

The plumage of chickens is evenly moistened or dusted, paying particular attention to the areas under the wings. Processing is carried out twice, with a break of 12-15 days in the winter, and 9-12 days in the summer. This period is necessary so that lice and fleas are hatched from eggs, since insecticides do not act on them.

Attention!
The plumage of chickens is evenly moistened or dusted, paying particular attention to the areas under the wings.

For the safety of birds, it is necessary to choose drugs based on pyrethroids. They are available in the form of powders or concentrated liquids. Pyrethroid is a synthetic analogue of the insecticide contained in chamomile flowers. The substance is paralyzed by fleas and lice and is completely harmless to birds.

Chickens treated with the drug are relocated to another room, and all surfaces are treated in the chicken coop. You can return chickens to their former premises no earlier than in 2-3 weeks. Before allowing birds to return to their previous place of residence, all surfaces are thoroughly washed.

Physical impact

A safer way to protect chickens and the house from parasitic insects is through physical exposure. This technique is more likely a preventive measure that prevents the spread and reproduction of parasites, but still helps protect the bird.

As noted earlier, birds help in swimming in the ashes. Special boxes with a mixture of sand and ash are installed inside the chicken coop and in the aviary. This helps birds partially remove parasites from the body. The mixture should be dry.

In the walks you should place containers with dry ash. The walls in the chicken coop can be regularly steamed or washed with boiling water. Timely cleaning and litter change also helps. You can not store dirty litter in the yard, as both adult lice and fleas, as well as their larvae, are stored in it.

To get to all the cracks and corners in the chicken coop, where parasites can hide, fumigation with a sulfur saber helps. Although sulfur is an extremely toxic substance and can poison not only insects, but also birds. Sulfur checker should be used in compliance with all recommendations and precautions.

Folk remedies and methods

The fight against chicken fleas and lice with folk remedies is popular with poultry farmers, as they are quite effective and at the same time safe for birds, humans and the environment.

The walls of the chicken coop are bleached with lime 2-3 times a year.
The most popular are the following funds:

  1. Aromatic herbs. In the chicken coop lay rosemary. Tansy, rosemary, wormwood or juniper, which are a good deterrent for adult insects.
  2. Ash. It is used to process the chicken coop and is poured into a tank for “bathing” the bird.
  3. Dust and sulfur. Means process the house. But these funds are quite toxic, and are rarely used at present.
    Whitewashing walls with lime. The event is held several times a year.

Preventive measures

Can fleas and lice be prevented in the chicken coop? The main measure of protection is maintaining hygiene in the chicken coop.

In order to avoid the emergence and reproduction of parasites, the following rules must be followed:

  • Regularly remove bird droppings and change litter.
  • Sanitize walls and floors at least twice a year.
  • Keep the birds on a free range.
  • Treat newly acquired poultry for prevention with antiparasitic agents.
  • To process the entire livestock in case of infection of even one individual.

Taking care of bird health is the responsibility of the owner. Compliance with all preventive measures will prevent the spread of dangerous bloodsuckers in the chicken coop.

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