In this blog I'm covering how to get rid of lice on chickens the easy way including top tips for dealing with them, treatment options, the best way to get rid of lice and simple steps you can take to help prevent lice and other parasites like mites in the first place.
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Do your chickens have lice?
Having backyard chickens is a great way to be more self sufficient and produce your own organic food. It's been shown that pastured chickens lay healthier eggs however free range chickens are also more likely to come into contact with wild birds that can spread parasites such as lice.
Before starting any treatment, it's important to be sure of the diagnosis. Lice, mites and worms are all parasites that can affect chickens and present similar symptoms, however the best treatment method can vary.
According to Aussie Chook Supplies lice are generally easily visible and live on the chicken in multiple locations. Adult lice are usually brown in colour and leave tell tale signs such as fans of eggs at the base of the feathers, close to the skin. They are most active in Winter but can be a problem in summer too.
Since lice are sensitive to light, you may notice they scurry away when you part the feathers. They are most likely to hang around the chicken's under-wing area and rear end.
Lice spread from bird to bird via direct contact and don't live in the coop or other areas except for on the chicken itself.
Symptoms of lice on your chickens can include inflamed skin which can be dried, oozy and crusty looking.
You may notice lice-infested chickens preening themselves excessively which results in damage to the feathers and bald patches. In cold regions you may also notice your hens laying less eggs as a result of feather loss and not being warm enough.
How to get rid of lice on chickens
Treatment options include:
- Thoroughly applying a dusting powder such as diatomaceous earth or Pestene insect powder all over the chicken's skin at the base of the feathers. Reapplying weekly until all the lice are gone.
- Spraying the chicken with a liquid lice treatment.
- Administering a dose of medicine such as Ivermectin either orally or topically*.
*Seek veterinary advice and prescription.
The best way to get rid of lice on backyard chickens: Applying a dusting powder
Compared to liquid sprays which can be harder to apply, and the use of a medicine such as Ivermectin (see note below), dusting powders are considered to be the safest and most effective way to get rid of lice on backyard chickens. You can choose to use diatomaceous earth or a commercial insecticide powder such as Pestene.
Top tips
Apply the powder directly to the base of the feathers and ensure complete coverage of the whole bird. Use your fingers to spread the powder between the feathers, paying special attention to the areas under the wings, chest, back and around the rear end (cloaca).
Next, sprinkle some powder into the chicken's nesting boxes and dust bathing area so the chickens can apply the dust to themselves. Repeat the treatment weekly until no signs of lice remain. It will usually take 2 - 3 treatments to kill all the lice and their eggs.
Dealing with heavy infestations
For heavy infestations and as a last resort Ivermectin or another medicine is sometimes used off-label to treat lice and other parasites when other treatments fail or are unavailable*. A measured dose (depending on the chicken's weight) is either dropped into its beak (orally) or applied to the skin at the back of the neck (topically).
The medicine passes through the chicken's blood stream and, as an unwanted side effect, into their eggs. There is no data available regarding the safety of eating meat or eggs from chickens treated with Ivermectin though it is generally recommended that you should not eat the eggs for at least two week's after treatment.
*Seek veterinary advice and prescription.
How to prevent lice and mites in chickens
As the old adage says, prevention is better than cure. You can minimise the risk of lice infestations becoming a problem in your backyard flock and keep lice and mites at bay by following these simple steps:
- Quarantine new chicks or chickens from your flock for at least two weeks and check and treat for lice during this time.
- Use a closed feeder system such as Grandpas Feeders to reduce attracting wild birds and rodents to your coop, or try making your own rodent-proof feeder.
- Include regular coop cleaning and quarterly/seasonal lice treatments (every 3 - 4 months) as part of your regular chicken keeping routine.
- Provide chickens with an area to dust bath and clean their feathers in a mix of wood ash, soil/compost and diatomaceous earth or a commercial insecticide powder such as Pestene.
- Regularly check over your chickens for signs of lice and commence treatment immediately. To prevent a larger outbreak, if you find active lice you should treat the entire flock and repeat each week until they are gone.
Want to know more about keeping backyard chickens? Discover my top tips for keeping chicken water fresh and clean and find out how to keep chickens out of the garden and off the patio.
Thanks for following along!
FAQ
When chicken lice come into contact with a pesticide like Pestene insect power or Diatomaceous earth, they are killed almost instantly. The reason you need to repeat treatment weekly is to ensure you are killing any lice that hatch from eggs after the initial treatment.
The most effective way to get rid of lice on chickens naturally is to dust the chickens with diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth is a natural product made from fossilised algae. It is deadly to mites and lice and works by suffocating them.
You can treat lice infestation in chickens by applying a dusting powder, liquid spray or with medication (seek veterinary advice).
As long as the host (the chicken) provides a food source for the parasite (the lice) they will not go away on their own without treatment.
You can keep your chickens free of lice and mites by taking preventative measures. These include quarantining and treating new chicks and chickens before you introduce them to your chicken flock, using a closed feeding system to avoid attracting wild birds and rodents, providing a suitable dust bathing area and regularly cleaning the chicken coop. It's also a good idea to include a lice and mite treatment at the change of each season.
Your chickens could keep getting lice if wild birds and/or rodents regularly visit your chicken coop to scavenge chicken feed and water, or you add new chickens to your flock without quarantining/treating them first.
If you are actively treating a lice infestation in your chickens, it could also be a case of not treating the chickens for long enough to cover new lice hatching from eggs laid previously.
Yes, eggs laid by chickens with lice are safe to eat.
Lice spread from contact with other chickens and also wild birds and rodents.
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