Off with their Heads! Collection I- B

Since this is the first time I have raised chickens the idea of lice, mites and worms did not occur to me until this summer '11.  I volunteered at Los Poblanos Lavender Farm at the end of May and June. LP has many livestock animals (Goats, Cow, 100 chickens, dogs, cats). The lady that runs the Livestock area was placing a powder on the ground for the chickens. She said its necessary to place DE (Diatomaceous earth) on the ground 1 time a month for the PREVENTION of Lice, Mites and Worms.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth


I placed the DE on the ground and thought that was enough Oh, how I was wrong!! I did not know that I had lice until finding the small grain like creatures on the eggs about 2 weeks ago (Discovered In the Sleeping Quarters, hence the reason for wanting the Hens to lay in the Nesting Boxes). Again DE is for the Prevention, if you have noticeable lice or mites a different action is required- Poultry Dusting. Once I noticed the lice I then started noticing the hens were scratching like crazy and also Sweetie's neck was almost bald. I originally thought the baldness was from molting; however I was then starting to piece it all together the reason she was bald on the neck was due to scratching. This is also I believe the main reason her egg production came to a hault. This also could have been the reason Cha Cha died. 


The steps below are as follows: I repeated the steps again yesterday to make sure the hens are safe and healthy.


Step 1: Throw out all bedding (cedar chips, feces)
Step 2: Rake all debris and feces from the ground
Step 3: Fill up a bucket with warm water, a small dose of soap, you will need a sponge to scrub the wood floor of the coop and nesting boxes
Step 4: Allow the nesting area and coop area to dry about 30 minutes
Step 5: Replace all the bedding with fresh cedar chips. Sprinkle DE all over the bedding area, not the nesting boxes and on the ground.
Step 6: Put on old clothing, place a mask over your mouth, put on gloves- you will need all this on in order to dust the hens. The dusting powder is toxic and harmful to humans.
Step 7: In the evening once the Hens become tired....place the Poultry Dusting powder in a sock about 1/4 cup will be fine. Lightly dust the hen from head to toe. Also place the powder under the wings and around the vent area. The hens will not like the dusting powder and  might try to fly away but it's absolutely necessary to dust the entire flock. If 1 hen has lice, mites or worms chances are they all will become infected.

-I did notice a difference in the hens the following day. They were not scratching or plucking at their feathers.

-In the 2 weeks following the treatment I have also noticed the feathers on Sweetie's neck is starting to grow back. Last week I noticed an enormous amount of red feathers on the ground. I don't know if she is now molting like I had thought before or this is from the lice and mites.  She has  lost her tail feathers however, she has gained at least a couple of pounds and looks better than she has looked in months!  I am hoping in the next few weeks she lays and egg. I noticed yesterday she was sitting in the nesting box. Have never noticed her in the boxes before now.

**I am going to post pictures of all the items you will need in order to dust the hens.