How to get rid of lice from chickens
Lice in chickens is a problem that many breeders face, regardless of the number of livestock kept on the farm and the conditions in which they are kept. In the language of science, this problem is called malofagosis. It is considered one of the most common ailments in the poultry industry.
Lice in chickens
To date, about 40 species of arthropods have been recorded that live on poultry. Their diet consists of feathers or fluff and blood. The most common pest of this series is the louse. The difficulty of solving the problem lies in the fact that one individual can simultaneously live parasites several types.
Mallophagosis is a dangerous disease, because chicken lice live on humans in the same way as on birds. To prevent this from happening, the fight against parasites should be carried out immediately with folk and medication.
Ways of spreading chicken lice
In addition to the fact that the bird feels discomfort, sensing pests on its own body, it is also at risk of catching an infectious disease, because it is the louse that is the main carrier of numerous infections, as well as parasites, which include helminths... This state of affairs poses a potential danger not only to the health of birds: eating contaminated meat can have an extremely negative effect on a person. To protect yourself, as well as the livestock that is in the hen house, it is necessary to find out the nature of the spread of these parasites, as well as the most effective and safe methods of dealing with them.
Chicken louse is a problem that cannot be solved only by clearly ensuring cleanliness in the chicken coop or shed where the bird is kept. The fact is that mallophagosis can spread in rooms with ideal cleanliness due to wild birds, which are the main sources of the disease. The most common peddlers include:
- sparrows;
- raven;
- pigeons.
Any contact of these birds with domestic animals can lead to infection and further spread to all livestock. Due to the minimum size (from 1 to 5 mm), lice in chickens often remain invisible to humans, which allows them to reproduce calmly and freely infect chickens and other poultry. According to research, the period that the parasite takes to develop from the stage of eggs to a full-fledged individual does not exceed 1 month. Such active development requires no less active actions aimed at the total destruction of pests.
Symptoms and course of the disease
To get rid of the problem with a minimum investment of time, effort and money, it is necessary to timely determine the presence of deviations in behavior and health of the bird. The first signs of an illness should be the reason for seeking qualified help from a veterinarian. Specialists are able to diagnose malofagosis based on the presence of an adult on the surface of the bird's body.Parasites can be identified directly by the owner of the individual without assistance, since they look characteristic. Photos of such parasites can be easily found both on the pages of specialized literature and on the Internet.
The list of the main symptoms, which indicates the presence of an ailment in chickens, includes:
- anxiety in behavior, as well as regular attempts to comb feathers with the beak;
- loss of part of the feathers, the result is the appearance of bare areas of the skin;
- a decrease in body weight, as well as indicators of egg production (we can talk about a decrease by 10%);
- poor weight gain in young animals with a simultaneous decrease in interest in food;
- mortality, which is the result of the lack of timely and adequate measures to treat the disease and maintain the health of the individual at an optimal level.
At home, it is quite simple to determine the listed factors.
Methods for removing parasites
Today there are many answers to the question, how to get rid of feather eaters in the chicken coop. At the same time, the variety of these methods involves both the use of traditional medications and very effective folk methods. The choice of the drug should be based on the fact that under normal conditions the life period of lice does not exceed 4 weeks, but their fertility allows them to produce up to 120 thousand individuals during this period.
It is also important to take into account the short incubation period, and it is on the basis of these data to select the treatment. The louse in the chicken coop, as already mentioned above, can be defeated both with the help of chemicals and through the available folk methods.
Features of the use of chemicals
Any chicken parasites are very effectively destroyed by chemical means. A ready-to-use preparation can be easily purchased at a veterinary clinic. The action of such drugs is based on the fact that the louse receives a fatal blow to the nervous system and simply dies. For chickens, this treatment is absolutely safe, so you can use it without fear.
Having applied for such funds in a veterinary hospital, you can count on a full consultation, as well as recommendations on the choice of drugs. In addition, do not forget about the need for disinfection in the chicken coop, since lice are able to live outside of organisms for some time.
Sprays are very popular with poultry breeders, which are easy to spray on the body of the chicken. The greatest efficiency can be achieved with this method in conditions when the number of livestock is small. A significant drawback of this method is helplessness in front of the larvae, as a result of which, in order for the chicken lice to be completely destroyed, these means will have to be used again after a while. For chickens, they are quite safe.
The use of folk options
Popular methods are used to defeat the louse. To get rid of chicken parasites, it is recommended to use kerosene. This substance allows you to fight not only with adults, but also with larvae.
A mixture of kerosene and vinegar can also be prepared to quickly remove parasites. This solution moistens the feather of the bird, and the chicken quickly recovers. Chicken lice die quickly in such conditions, but they can flee and seek shelter on other birds, so the treatment should be massive.
At home, kerosene is multifunctional. On its basis, you can also prepare a mass for the treatment of premises, which will help to effectively remove not only lice, but also other pests. In general, combating parasites and treating diseases with traditional methods can be very effective.
Preventive measures
The prevention of diseases of domestic animals and poultry, including chickens, is considered effective with folk options, since chicken diseases, treatment and control are becoming easier and more affordable. You can fight sources of infection with boiling water and steam, which chicken lice cannot tolerate. Changing litters at the right time also prevents them from spreading.
Everything must be done to exclude contacts of poultry with wild brethren. It is important to make an effort to prevent the problem, rather than then not be able to do anything about it. Yes, chicken louse is a serious problem, because chicken lice live on humans too, but you can fight it.