Ivermectin spot on and lice

Sue

Sue

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I decided to use the spot on treatment for the lice. Weighed all the hens and applied the correct number of drops. Threw the eggs away in the recycling bin (horrified having to do this!) but now, 6 days later when I picked up one of the hens today I ended up with a louse on me! Why haven't they all been killed? Help!
 
Hi Sue,
I decided on Ivermectin for worming just a couple of girls, one of which is a layer.
Have been throwing away her eggs, only to find, lovely and healthy as she is, she has developed her dirty bum again, immediately.
Does it actually work, I wonder?
 
Always worked for me, but it will only kill whats on the birds (and only on the ones that are treated). You need to make sure you also clean out house/ark etc at the same time as if this/other hens are infested, the lice will return. I've also found it's best to renew the contents of their dustbaths... Bit of a chore I know.
 
I treated all the birds at the same time and thoroughly cleaned out the houses. Does this not have any residual effect the same as the Frontline for dogs? I was told that it did. If it doesn't then it's a complete waste of time using it! I will contact a chicken vet today to find out.
 
It is residual. It won't stop lice climbing onboard & 'scuttling' around for a day or so before it kills them though. I think (as with frontline) the lice need to bite the bird before dying.
 
I was considering Ivermectin as a cheaper alternative to Frontline spray but have read so many reports (this and other forums) that is is only partially or not at all effective that I won't bother with it. We've just bought a huge bottle of Frontline spray from the vet ready to take to France. When that's applied lice die instantly and can't return from another bird because the host is protected for 28 days. It's still our last resort though as we use louse powder and then pyrethum contact killer spray in the form of Johnsons flea spray for dogs or cats (different bottles but exactly the same thing).
 
chrismahon said:
I was considering Ivermectin as a cheaper alternative to Frontline spray but have read so many reports (this and other forums) that is is only partially or not at all effective that I won't bother with it. We've just bought a huge bottle of Frontline spray from the vet ready to take to France. When that's applied lice die instantly and can't return from another bird because the host is protected for 28 days. It's still our last resort though as we use louse powder and then pyrethum contact killer spray in the form of Johnsons flea spray for dogs or cats (different bottles but exactly the same thing).
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Chris, is there any egg withdrawal period with the sprays? How do you know how much to apply?
 
My vet suggested 10 days, but added it shouldn't get into the egg laying system. Went we had lice the hens weren't laying anyway. We apply half the minimum dose for cats, so we apply 3 sprays per Kg bodyweight, same as Foxy does. Wiped out Northern Fowl Mite in one treatment for Bottom, whereas those using Ivermectin had it re-occur.
 
As a slight sideline, we can't use frontline on the dog anymore as it no longer works (had to move to stronghold) - maybe it depends on your location & the local population of 'horrors' immunity to the individual drug?
 
That's a bit of a concern BabyBantam. We had red mite last year that became immune to the sprays so maybe that's the same thing. Perhaps it will work again when you've changed for a while. I was advised to alternate treatments for red mite to avoid them developing immunity.
 
I have now been told by The Chickenvet that there isn't any residual treatment with the Ivermectin spot on!! So that was a complete waste of money then!
 
What I don't understand is what do people do who have a lot of hens, not commercial sellers, but people who keep 50 or so free range hens and sell eggs regularly. They obviously can't use anything that required egg withdrawal and surely they don't go around dusting all their birds every week. So what do they do to deal with this problem? I was more worried about getting red mite, but it seems lice are just as much of a problem to deal with!
 
We had 40 hens Sue and just checked them every few weeks at random. They were in groups of 10 or so. If any in one flock showed signs of lice they were all dusted or sprayed with Johnsons and checked the following week when dusting was repeated as appropriate. That's almost all we do, so egg withdrawral isn't an issue. We only use Frontline as a LAST RESORT on stubborn lice -head, Northern and feather eating. I expect people keep selling the eggs anyway when they use it, as withdrawral seems to be optional ?!?!
 
On the occasions I have spotted lice I use Johnsons Anti Mite spray which is specifically designed for cage birds and pigeons. I check all the birds in the same house and treat. I don't tend to need to treat all the flock as the lice usually is affecting just one shed at a time, I don't find lice as mobile as redmite.
At the same time bedding will be changed and the house sprayed with an insecticide. 6 days later and the birds are checked again this time just a little diatom added directly to the birds and rubbed down into the base of their feathers, under wings and vent. I don't use diatom in the houses though. I also at this point will add a crushed garlic clove and oregostim to their drinking water.
 
Margaid said:
Does the garlic taint the eggs? OH hates it! What is oregostim Foxy?
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No I don't find garlic taints the eggs in my experience. Oregostim is a supplement based of Oregano which I use in my chicks and growers to support gut health because I don't use any ACS.
I also use dried herbs such as rosemary and lavender tied with string and attached to the perches to dissuade lice.
 
Thanks Foxy, I'll look out for that. Like the idead of the herbs - Iknow lavender is supposed to deter flies. BTW what is ACS?
 
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