Chicken lice: symptoms of infection, how to remove and what to do for prevention

Insects living on the body of farm birds are a real disaster for the owners. Due to the rapid reproduction of parasites, chicken lice infect the entire population of chickens in a short time, which damages the he alth of birds and reduces their productivity. Therefore, it is important for the breeder to notice trouble in time and help the birds get rid of annoying insects.

What do chicken lice look like?

These are small insects of dark brown or yellow-brown color, no more than half a centimeter in size (usually about 2 millimeters). The body of chicken lice has a flattened shape, at the ends of the legs are claws.On the head is a proboscis, with the help of which parasites feed on blood, and mandibles (jaws). It is difficult to see insects among plumage with the naked eye.

Chicken lice breed by laying eggs. After the appearance of the louse, it grows rapidly and after a few days it becomes capable of reproduction itself. Insects live for about a month, feeding on the blood of a bird, the scales of the skin of the hostess, as well as fluff and feathers. There are many different subspecies of chicken lice.

Causes of infection

Chicken can pick up parasites from a sick relative, as well as through contact with wild birds or rodents. The provocative factors are insufficient observance of cleanliness in the chicken coop, dirty plumage, excessive grouping of birds, reduced immunity of birds.

Parasite Symptoms

It is not difficult to notice the onset of the disease. When lice appear, the following symptoms occur:

• hens become restless, begin to itch, peck their skin, and therefore, wounds and bald spots form on their body;
• birds lose their appetite, lose weight, rush poorly;
• skin of chickens becomes red and flaky, birds begin to go bald;
• sleep is disturbed.

Roosters develop a bluish comb color.

Diagnostic rules

To detect lice infestation in time, pets should be examined every 4-5 weeks.

Armed with a flashlight, you should carefully examine the bird's head, neck and nape, the area under the wings and near the anus, chicken legs.

How to get rid of chicken lice?

If feather-eating parasites are detected, it is not recommended to delay the start of treatment. It is necessary to immediately process the chicken coop (the birds are transferred to another place), and then proceed to rid the chickens of lice.

In the advanced stage, treatment is carried out with drugs, at earlier stages, folk remedies give a good effect.

Pharmacy preparations

Necessary medicines are purchased at a veterinary pharmacy. In order to remove parasites, it is recommended to use:

1. Sprays (Clean House, Frontline, Beafar). Before starting the application, it is necessary to clean the surface of the chicken from contamination. Then the treatment is carried out over the entire body of the bird against feathers, which must be lifted until the skin is exposed. You need to spray the bird until it becomes wet. It is important to ensure that the spray does not get into the beak and eyes of the chickens. Agents such as Stomazan, Neostomaza and oxamate emulsion are contraindicated in laying hens and are not used 30 days before slaughter.
2. Drops (Frontline, Bars). Depending on the area of infection, the agent is applied either to the entire body of the chicken, or only to the withers of the bird.In this case, the drops should not fall on the feathers, but on the skin of the chicken, for which the feathers must be carefully moved apart. Drops can not be used more than once a month. It is forbidden to use such products for chickens and sick chickens. Drops are added to young animals in a warm drink.
3. Water solutions (Tetrix, Executioner, Butox). They are applied similarly to sprays by spraying the skin of chickens. For the treatment of chickens, Promectin is recommended, which is diluted with water and poured into drinkers.
4. Special powders (Deltamethrin). Such products are rubbed into the skin of chickens.

Any procedure is carried out twice. The second time - 1-1.5 weeks after the first.

Without parallel processing of the coop, curing chickens would be pointless. The room where the birds are kept must be thoroughly cleaned and washed, and then sprayed with insecticides. At the same time, there should be no birds in the chicken coop within 2 hours after treatment.When working with the product, it is recommended to wear special clothing, a mask and gloves. After two weeks, the treatment is repeated.

For spraying the chicken coop, it is recommended to use Peritrum, Karbofos, Butox, Sevin, Drucker, Diazinon, Tsifox, Entomosan Super, as well as some tools that are used to treat the birds themselves (for example, Butox). It is necessary to prepare solutions clearly according to the instructions.

If possible, spraying with insecticides can be replaced by steaming the chicken coop.

It is carried out using a special unit, or by calling special services with the necessary devices.

It's not bad to use insecticidal smoke bombs (Pawn-B) to disinfect the chicken coop. Processing should be carried out in the absence of birds. One checker is designed for 250 cubic meters of space.

Before you start the birds in the coop, you need to lay a new litter, add fresh food and pour clean water. To scare off parasites, herbs such as tansy, rosemary, wormwood or chamomile are scattered.

Folk remedies

Usually used in the earliest stages of the disease. Vinegar, kerosene (separately or mixed with gasoline and alcohol), herbal decoction are used to remove lice:

1. Vinegar is diluted with cold water in a ratio of 1:3 and sprayed on chickens using a spray bottle.
2. Kerosene is used in the same way, only it is not diluted with water. To repel ticks, you can add a little ammonia to kerosene and apply a few drops of this remedy on the back of the neck of the chicken.
3. It is recommended to make a mixture of kerosene, alcohol and gasoline in equal proportions. This mixture is rubbed into the skin of chickens.
4. A decoction of herbs is prepared as follows: take 300 grams of tansy, chamomile and wild rosemary, pour 6 liters of boiling water, boil for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and spray birds with this remedy.

In addition to the products used, you can use sand-ash baths.

They are also good as a preventive measure. A container with sand and ash is placed on the territory of a corral or chicken coop, and the chickens themselves will mess around there. Sometimes purified sulfur is added there (purchased at a pharmacy).

What products should not be used?

Some products help with chicken lice, but harm the bird itself. Others do not cause harm to birds, but accumulate in muscle fibers and eggs, after which, when they enter the human body, they cause intoxication.

The use of endrin, chloradan, heptachlor, benzene, hexachloride is prohibited for removing chicken lice.

When using permitted chemicals, it is important to observe their dosage, since its excess can also affect the quality of chicken meat.

Possible consequences for chickens

Chicken lice have a negative effect on the he alth of birds. Insect bites are especially dangerous, causing severe itching in chickens, because when bitten, parasites release special substances into the blood of the victim, and thus can bring any disease. If the hens are not helped to get rid of the lice, they can die.

How dangerous are chicken lice for humans?

Chicken lice do not live on people, but they can climb on a person and bite him. To get rid of parasites, you just need to wash yourself with conventional means. The danger to people is not the insects themselves, but their bites, since lice can be carriers of various infections. In some people, chicken lice bites cause allergic reactions.

Prevention

To prevent the appearance of parasites, you need to take the arrangement of the chicken coop seriously. It should be spacious enough, have a fence that does not allow sparrows and rats to climb there. The chicken coop and aviary need regular cleaning.

Proper nutrition of birds also plays a significant role. The feed should contain all the necessary trace elements, vitamins and minerals. When buying new individuals, you should definitely make sure that they are not infested with lice or carry out preventive treatment.

Can I eat infected poultry meat?

Because chicken lice can carry diseases, you should not eat meat or eggs from infected chickens.

Chicken lice cause great discomfort to the bird, have a bad effect on its he alth, and if left untreated, can lead to death. Therefore, it is very important to monitor the he alth of birds, create good living conditions for them, and pay attention to the quality of food.

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