How to Treat Chicken Lice. what do chicken lice look like? do my chickens have lice? what do you use to kill chicken lice?

Poultry Health

Ivermectin chicken dosage for full size chickens to treat lice, mites and worms:

chicken licePreventative care is our-go to here as a larger flock with multiple coops to tend and keep clean and healthy. Ivermectin can be used safely on chickens even though it only has cattle listed on the box. Most feed stores carry it but will not recommend it for poultry. We have used it for years with great results and no side effects or heath issues.
Checking for worms: Snip the feather directly surrounding the vent and a few inches under it. They will likely have runny poops after this treatment which helps to clean them out and expel any worms. Don’t trim too much, it could cause other hens to pick at her vent if the skin is exposed. Just right around and under the vent and leaving an inch of feather stubs works best for our ladies.
To check chicken clinkers for worms, lay a long cardboard piece under the perch about once a month to collect poops on and look for bloody stool and worms. Drag it outside and poke it with a stick. Small children might enjoy helping with this task. 

We use Ivermectin in a spray bottle DILUTED AS FOLLOWS.

  • Squirt a 4 times into a tiny medicine measuring cup.
  • Multiply the amount in this tiny measuring cup by your number of birds.
  • Use a larger fluid measuring cup (like a Pyrex with a pour spout).
  • Pour the amount of water you multiplied above into the larger measuring cup to make sure it’s diluted correctly.
  • Pour the water in the large measuring cup into the sprayer.
  • Add 6 drops of Ivermectin into the spray bottle for each bird in your flock with an eyedropper. 

Note: eyedroppers and tiny measuring cups are free at most pharmacies if you ask nicely. 

How to hold your chicken for treatment:

Hold you chicken by the feet upside down until they stop flapping. If you have not done this before it might freak you out along with the chicken. If they struggle don’t let go, gently stretch them downward by holding their head down. You chicken will stop and stay like that for a long time. Keep them in this position for the duration of treatment.

Where to apply:

  • 1 on the vent
  • 1 on the hackles
  • 1 Top-rump/lower back
  • 1 under each wing where it’s bare
  • 1 follow-up in the vent
Make sure to get the skin and hold them a few seconds so it doesn’t just drip off. 
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