How to get rid of chicken fleas in a chicken coop: proven methods

Chicken fleas cause a lot of trouble to poultry owners: the growth of young animals stops, the egg production of chickens decreases, they lose weight, become vulnerable to infections and may die. The solution to the question of how to get rid of chicken fleas is urgent, because not only the life of poultry and the financial well-being of the farmer is at stake, but also the health of people living nearby.

Chicken fleas around the eyes of birds (the parasites look like narrow lines from above. Their body is completely flat (flattened on the sides), the color is dark brown)

Description of the parasite

Chicken fleas are a common ectoparasite found in all regions of Russia.
It has a small body up to 1.5 mm long; unlike other varieties, they have eyes and sensitive antennae. Due to their flattened body shape, they are almost impossible to crush, and additional protection is provided by a durable chitin shell.

Fleas have developed hind legs, thanks to which they can jump up to 1.5 in length. The parasite multiplies very quickly, the female lays eggs almost every day.

Adults feed on the blood of chickens; the larvae live in the litter or soil. On average, a chicken flea lives up to several months; cases have been recorded when, in comfortable conditions, the parasite could live up to 1.5-2 years.

Bedbugs

Birds can be affected by several species of bedbugs from the family Cimicidae. The most common types of bed bug in chickens are the so-called sigiso chicken bug.

This blood-sucking insect reaches a length of 2–5 mm and a thickness of 1.5–2.0 mm. The color of bedbugs varies from yellow and brown to deep red.

When young animals become infected with a large colony, the bird loses quite a lot of blood. Anemia develops, chickens become lethargic, with poor coordination of movements. The bite sites become swollen and very itchy due to the toxic saliva of the bedbugs.

The insidiousness of bedbugs lies in their ability to go without food in the larval stage for up to seventy days, and in adults for up to twelve months. Chickens in contaminated premises have decreased productivity, decreased body weight, and increased feed consumption.

How to treat chickens for bedbugs:

• Preparation Mustang,
• The drug Inkur solution 2%,
• Chlorophos solution 2% – 200 g of the drug/10 l,
• Neocidol solution 0.5%.

Chickens are removed during processing and returned only after 10 - 14 days. Since the incubation period for bedbugs lasts 5–20 days, repeated treatments are recommended every 10 days. Before treatment, the poultry house is cleaned, and the habitats of bedbugs - perches, bedding, cracks in the walls and cracks on the floor - are sprayed with special care.

Why do fleas appear on chickens?

Among all the diversity of animals, there are those that live at the expense of other organisms. They are parasitic, thus maintaining their own existence. Fleas are one of the most popular species. These creatures live on the body of animals, feed on their blood, thereby causing incredible discomfort.

Why do fleas appear on chickens? The answer to this question lies in the very essence of the existence of an insect - by virtue of its nature, it is looking for an organism on which it can live and get everything it needs. There is a separate type of flea that lives only on chickens.

The reasons for their exposure to birds can be varied:

• the laying hen “picked up” parasites from the nest or litter;
• a chicken became infected with fleas from another chicken.

The second option is more common. The easiest way for insects to spread is from one bird to another. The physical structure of their body allows them to easily jump between laying hens and infect all the offspring of chickens.

How to determine if they are fleas

Without special equipment, it is difficult to determine the difference between types of parasites. But, according to the structure of their body, chicken fleas are less flattened and have an oval shape. The insect does not have wings, but it has well-developed paws, with the help of which it jumps on the bird.

Flea

Fleas in chickens are distinguished by their antennae, which are absent in other species. Another nuance is that the parasite has well-developed eyes, which allows it to move more quickly and look for areas of damage on the body. The easiest way to find an insect is by its appearance characteristics:

• dark body (shades of brown);
• rounded shape, slightly compressed at the sides.

Another feature of the chicken flea is its body density. The parasite has a resistant shell that protects it from injury by the chicken itself. When a bird itches with its beak or paws, the risk of flea death is reduced due to the high density of the body.

Compared to other types of fleas, chicken fleas are more demanding of environmental conditions. The parasite can only live at high temperatures - about 40 °C. This limits their habitat to the body of the bird itself, the nests of laying hens. Therefore, animals almost always live under the feathers.

The chicken flea, in most cases, does not reach the human body. Due to the temperature regime, they simply do not survive in humans. Even if they bite, they will not be able to bite through the skin to the vessels. Their body is designed only for the thin skin of chicken.

Effective methods of control

If your backyard is small or you need to remove fleas from your pet birds in your apartment, special anti-flea drops for animals are a great help.

If the bird has no chance of accidentally ingesting such a product, it will not cause any side effects or poisoning and works quite effectively.

If the farm is large, it is worth fighting with special preparations in the form of powders and concentrated ampoules. They contain toxic substances of the pyrethroid group, which have a paralyzing effect on the nervous system of fleas. Insects inevitably die after treatment with this product.

The most effective drugs in the form of drops include Stronghold, Bars, Frontline, Advantage. Dan drops are very suitable for a wide range of people; they have a low price, are safe and give good results.

Any insecticide for controlling parasites in residential premises will be suitable as a treatment for chicken coops. Be it cockroaches, bedbugs, ants or fleas. The most famous of them are Karbofos, Executioner, Tetrix, Get and others. Household aerosols Combat, Raptor, Raid are also suitable, but are extremely wasteful and do not always have high-quality results.

Still, chicken coops are different from our apartments, and chicken fleas have their own specifics, so this must be taken into account when processing.

Appearance and characteristics of chicken fleas

A flea is a blood-sucking parasite that settles in the feathers of a bird and feeds on its blood. Outwardly it resembles a louse, but has no wings, so it cannot fly. But it jumps well, which allows it to spread quickly. The insect is so small that it is difficult to visually distinguish on a bird. The body is flattened, elongated, about one and a half millimeters long. Insects are dark in color, with variations in shade: from red to brown. The difference from an ordinary flea is the presence of antennae and a dense shell.

Chickens are attacked by numerous colonies consisting of hundreds of individuals. They are firmly fixed to the skin, which allows them to parasitize the chosen victim for a long time. Fleas are able to live comfortably at a temperature of 40 C. When they get on the body of another animal (cow, pig, pig) or person, they quickly die.

The first photo shows the appearance of the flea, on an enlarged scale. Here the developed hind limbs are noticeable, with which it pushes off and makes jumps up to one and a half meters long. This is how she moves.

In the second photo, fleas on the chicken are clearly visible due to their abundance. This phenomenon is typical in particularly advanced cases.

How to do it right: sequence of actions

For a lasting and high-quality result, disinfection is carried out comprehensively, carefully preparing all the necessary tools and preparations, and thinking through the entire procedure.

Preparation

For preliminary manipulations you will need the following tools:

• shovel or scoop;
• scrapers;
• broom;
• rags.

It is also necessary to prepare work clothes, if necessary, to protect the skin and mucous membranes from the influence of aggressive agents. The bird, if the treatment is carried out in its absence, must be moved to another room. Prepare equipment for removing waste and accumulated garbage.

Cleaning

Using scrapers, you need to clean all surfaces from chicken droppings and other dirt, change the bedding layer, and remove containers for food and water. If there is a need to sand surfaces covered with mold, replace parts of structures (perches, nests), if possible.

Washing

All existing surfaces - walls, floors, ceilings, perches, etc. are washed with hot water. For greater effect and to remove unpleasant odors, add a little vinegar to the water. The walls and ceiling whitewashed with lime are completely washed of it, since the layer has already served its purpose. After all the procedures performed, you can whiten it again.

Disinfection

It is advisable to disinfect the premises in the absence of birds, in the warm season, when they can be released outside. In this case, processing will be higher quality and faster.

Having previously protected yourself from the effects of drugs, begin treating the room. The disinfection process begins from top to bottom: ceiling, perches, floor. It is still advisable to choose less toxic products, since the influence of toxins can affect the productivity of the bird. The ideal disinfection option would be to use comprehensive measures.

Among the drugs on the market, there are several time-tested, effective remedies. Experienced farmers recommend:

• Bianol, Virocid - against viruses;
• bleach - mold, germs, removal of excess moisture;
• Dixam - bacteria and fungal spores;
• Creolin - against ticks;
• Kerosene and ammonia (applied to the bird's neck) are remedies for lice, lice, and other parasites.

Life cycle and behavioral characteristics

Unlike other types of fleas, chicken fleas are not able to live for a long time outside the body of the victim. That is why parasites strive to settle as much as possible in the chosen territory, without the possibility of further migration. They can settle near chickens, for example, under litter.

Insects are dependent on the temperature regime of their habitat. Able to endure short-term discomfort while jumping to another object. A person is not suitable for them for long-term residence, since the temperature is lower and the epidermis is thicker (not able to bite).

Fleas can breed in a chicken coop if:

1. Sanitary standards are not maintained: no ventilation, dirty, bedding is not changed for a long time.
2. Increased humidity and temperature in the room.
3. There is no routine disinfection.

Once in such a favorable environment, they multiply intensively within a few days. Females leave egg clutches daily, spreading them to the sides with their hind legs. Thus, they strive to expand the settlement area. As a result, the chicken coop is littered with white microscopic capsules. They soon hatch into larvae that quickly turn into adults.

The life cycle of a flea is about a year.

Pathogen

Bird eaters are parasitic insects that are very small in size - about two mm. They prefer to live in the feather cover and down of birds, feeding on the plumage. They are otherwise called “chicken lice.” The comparison is not entirely correct: unlike the latter, feather eaters feed not on blood, but on feathers and down. In some cases, parasites eat keratinized skin particles and can drink blood that appears as a result of injuries to the skin of birds. Severe discomfort forces chickens to scratch or peck at places where insects accumulate.

Mallophagosis is the name given by veterinarians to periodontal disease that occurs in poultry; chickens are most often affected. Parasites move very actively; this is more typical for young individuals. In chickens they are easy to see visually. Pere-eaters look like tiny, dark-colored sticks. Insects spend their entire lives parasitizing in the feather cover.

Parasites have a flat body and a large head protruding in front of it, resembling a triangle. The oral part is represented by a gnawing apparatus, displaced downward of the body. The body is covered with a hard spherical shell. Eggs laid by females can be found near the skin on the plumage. Development occurs within a week. The life cycle of the periodontal eagle is 32 days. One pair produces numerous offspring, more than 100 thousand.

The spread of parasites on chickens is a very common occurrence. Most often, the risk zone includes birds kept without walking. Bird eaters prefer to settle in the areas of the back and wings, and one chicken can have about 10 thousand insects.

Vitality and resistance to the environment are the main characteristic features of parasites. In the absence of food, they remain viable for a long time. Owners can find feather eaters not only on the livestock, but also on inventory tools, perches, nesting houses if they are made of wood materials, as well as in the litter.

Signs of fleas in chickens

A chicken infestation with fleas is diagnosed by a number of symptoms:

• egg production decreases;
• anxiety appears in the behavior of chickens;
• weight loss despite a big appetite;
• they peck and bite themselves, itch, and run constantly;
• bald patches appear on the feather cover;
• near the eyes and crest there are brown crusts - parasitic accumulations that have multiplied in large numbers.

At the initial stage, detecting pests is problematic. It is recommended to regularly inspect the bird stock, especially the skin: lift the feather and carefully examine it. If left untreated, birds develop anemia, which is why they soon die.

Signs of skin parasites

A characteristic sign of parasitic infestation is a decrease in productivity. The number of eggs laid per week is reduced by up to 15%. This phenomenon should alert the poultry farmer.

Be sure to read:

Why the comb of chickens and roosters turns blue: reasons, what to do, preventive measures

Characteristic manifestations of parasitic infestation among chicken stock:

• The bird is very worried and may begin to pluck its feathers and peck feathers.
• The livestock begins to consume a significantly larger volume of feed.
• The skin around the eyes, beak, and legs is constantly irritated, and inflammatory processes are possible. Feather cover may fall out.
• The skin is constantly damaged, peeling flakes of skin and minor blood stains appear on the earrings and combs of roosters.
• If pests damage the eyes, the bird can develop inflammation of the conjunctiva, accompanied by severe lacrimation and blurred vision.
• Fallen feathers will have characteristic holes, crevices, and cracks.

Reasons for appearance

Photos of fleas:

Chicken fleas can get into the chicken coop in several ways:

• from wild birds;
• migration from neighboring areas;
• through poor quality litter.

As a rule, cases of infection are observed when the timing and quality of cleaning the poultry house is not observed, and when the humidity and air temperature in the room are high.

To avoid the appearance of chicken fleas, you need to follow simple care rules, limit poultry from wild birds and regularly disinfest the chicken coop.

Symptoms

In the early stages of infection, it is almost impossible to determine the presence of chicken fleas in the chicken coop. Parasites live in the litter and inside the plumage of birds, where they are extremely difficult to see due to their small body size.

If the insect population reaches a large size, the first characteristic signs appear:

• anxiety and nervousness of chickens;
• birds often roll around in sand and dust, trying to clean themselves;
• scratches appear on the body;
• small red spots at the bite sites;
• egg production decreases;
• birds develop anemia, infected individuals quickly become exhausted.

With prolonged flea infestation, birds become weaker and practically stop eating and drinking. They react even to minor external stimuli (light or noise) and look extremely restless. As a result, they may die from nervous or physical exhaustion.

Preventive actions

It is not always possible to prevent the invasion of mallophages

But if you pay due attention to prevention, the risk of parasite infection can be reduced to zero

To prevent livestock from becoming infected with chicken lice, you need to:

1. Place containers filled with a mixture of fine sand and ash in the chicken coop. Birds should always have the opportunity to take dust baths.
2. Protect the poultry house from rodents (mice, rats).
3. Do not allow domestic chickens to come into contact with wild feathered relatives (sparrows, pigeons, crows).
4. Regularly clean the shed and the surrounding area, frequently change the bedding and remove droppings, and control the humidity level in the room.
5. Carry out antiparasitic treatment of the chicken coop and the entire livestock 1-2 times a year.
6. Wash and disinfect feeders and drinkers weekly.
7. After visiting someone else's poultry house, change clothes and shoes so as not to carry larvae or adult mallophages.
8. Periodically inspect chickens for the presence of feather eaters. If parasites are found on at least one chicken, disinfest the entire flock and the chicken coop.
9. In the autumn-winter period, add vitamin and mineral supplements to the feed to help strengthen the birds’ immunity.

Newly acquired laying hens should not be allowed into the chicken coop without prior antiparasitic treatment with chemical or folk remedies.

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Damage caused: why are chicken fleas dangerous?

Fleas themselves are harmless to humans and other mammals, since their blood is not suitable for them. In rare cases, the parasite may bite, but the wounds are superficial, since the thickness of the epidermis does not allow access to the capillaries.

For chicken livestock, this type of pest is dangerous as a carrier of infectious diseases:

• Bruce's disease (brucellosis);
• salmonellosis;
• sleeping sickness;
• encephalitis.

Diseases that can be transmitted to humans through tactile contact with a sick chicken, often with fatal consequences. Eating eggs and meat from infected specimens is strictly contraindicated. On this side, fleas can pose a serious danger to humans.

Against the backdrop of flea infestation, lice may appear on birds, which are the cause of mass incidence of lice.

Technologies

How is disinfection carried out, and what products are suitable for agriculture? It is worth noting that even the best remedy will not lead to the desired result if it is not used correctly. Let's talk about the main parameters.

Cleaning - any surface located in the chicken coop must undergo a mechanical cleaning procedure. It is necessary to remove any remaining droppings from the floor and perch. The litter is cleaned. Floors, walls, ceilings are washed from dirt and dust.

Washing should be done with warm or hot water. You can add a solution of soda with calcium to the water.

It is worth paying attention to the cleanliness of feeding items. Once the room is in order, disinfection can begin.

Drug concentration - the dosage of any drug is described in the instructions for its use. It is worth carefully studying the inscription on the label. If it says that you need a product with a concentration of 2%, then you should dilute the drug in a ratio of one to fifty.

Consumption of drugs - this data can also be found on the instructions. The calculation is per unit area. It is worth making enough product so that the surfaces are sufficiently moistened.

Curing – After your coop is treated, a short curing period is necessary. This time reaches about three hours. But in an ideal situation, you should wait two days.

Control – This control is carried out in large poultry factories. Samples for examination are studied in laboratory conditions. There is a check for the presence of microorganisms that should be monitored. If disinfection was carried out efficiently, the chicken coop will be completely sterilized.

It is not only necessary to disinfect the chicken coop. It is necessary to process all the inventory that is there

Pay special attention to feeders, waterers and even clothing in which you come into contact with chickens

How to deal with fleas in laying hens?

If you find an insect, try to get rid of it as quickly as possible. Delaying treatment can lead to the proliferation of organisms and worsening the situation.

In the fight against fleas the following are used:

• traditional methods;
• medications.

How to remove fleas from laying hens depends on each individual situation. If there are not too many parasites yet, but they have just appeared, it is better not to expose the chicken to medications once again, but to use folk remedies.

But if the bird is constantly irritated and eats less, the medications will be more effective. Accordingly, it is worth proceeding from each individual situation.

Traditional methods

Among subsidiary plots, the most popular means are:

• ash;
• sand;
• tansy;
• sagebrush.

A bowl of sand or ash will help remove fleas.

Ash and sand are absolutely identical in terms of use. A container with such fillings is placed in a box in the chicken coop.

The bird bathes in it and cleans its feathers, thereby expelling fleas from the cover. If laying hens are not kept in a cage, then ordinary soil can be an alternative. Birds will rummage through it, getting rid of pests.

Experts recommend using sand. It is more dense in structure and will help deal with the problem faster. Ash, although less effective, is used more often. You can use both wood ash and coal ash.

Tansy and wormwood are plants that have a persistent and pungent aroma. They are unbearable for almost all types of parasites. Therefore, you can scatter branches throughout the chicken coop. As a result, the fleas will “go away” on their own.

Medications

You can get rid of the problem more quickly with the help of medications. In veterinary medicine there are a number of drugs for chickens that are aimed specifically at fighting fleas.

Drops act directly on the source of damage:

• Stronghold (0.2 ml is applied to the skin of the bird, the procedure can be repeated monthly for prevention);
• Frontline (3 ml is applied to the skin of the bird, without repeating the procedure earlier than after 6 months);
• “Bars” (0.5 ml rubbed into the skin of the bird, repeat the procedure after 7 days);
• “Advantage” (0.2 ml rubbed into the skin once);
• “Dana” (0.4 ml rubbed into the skin once).

You can get rid of fleas much faster with medications

It is important to disinfect the chicken coop itself after the laying hens have been treated. Suitable for this:

• Get (0.1 l per 1 l of water, sprayed over 50-60 sq. m);
• “Tsifoks” (2 ml per 1 liter of water, sprayed over 10-20 sq. m);
• “Raid” (cylinder designed for 10–15 sq. m);
• “Raptor” (cylinder designed for 10–15 sq. m).

If we are talking about chicken farms where the number of birds is more than one hundred laying hens, then it is better to use:

• “Butox” (1 ml per 4 liters of water, the prepared solution is sprayed onto the bird’s feathers);
• Deltamethrin in powder. Rubbed into the bird's skin. On average, one hen takes from 10 to 20 g.

If there are chickens in the flock. Those who do not suffer from the presence of parasites and who have not been treated should be placed in a separate room for a week.

About the treatment of parasites and disinfestation of chicken coops

The most effective in treating parasites and for chicken coops are chemicals. Treatment of chickens against parasites is carried out with pyrethroid insecticides, organophosphorus compounds, carbamate, and synthetic pyrethroids.

The use of outdated insecticides such as lime with the addition of chlorine and sulfur preparations is considered ineffective today

In addition, working with chlorine and sulfur requires special care. These chemicals can be harmful to poultry and humans

Preparations containing chlorinated hydrocarbons, as well as benzene, heptachlor, hexachloride, endrin, toxaphene, dieldrin, chlordane, and aldrin, are prohibited for the control of parasites.

Insecticides are sold in specialized retail outlets in the form of liquid concentrates, water-soluble powders, dust (pulverized products) and special baits for parasites. When using insecticides, do not allow them to get into feeders or drinking bowls.

Compliance with dosages will preserve the health of birds and those carrying out pest control.

Incorrect concentration of solutions or use of large volumes will lead to the accumulation of chemicals in chicken products. Before using chemicals, it is necessary to collect eggs, dispose of contaminated bedding, and remove food and water.

The greatest effect from the use of antiparasitic drugs is achieved by direct treatment of infected areas and the chickens themselves. Each chicken is thoroughly sprayed, the feathers should be wet down to the skin. The most convenient treatment is considered to be when keeping birds in cages. Dust-like preparations are most often used to treat bedding in chicken coops or the floor of cages on poultry farms.

Please note that simultaneous treatment with insecticides and disinfectants is prohibited. .

Getting rid of fleas: an integrated approach

It is very difficult to completely get rid of insects. Much depends on the degree of parasite infestation of the bird. The procedure includes three components:

• carrying out disinfestation of the premises in which chickens are kept;
• treating birds with anti-flea agents;
• taking preventative measures to prevent re-infection.

Disinsection of the chicken coop and processing of the poultry must take place in parallel.

Chicken coop treatment

To get rid of chicken fleas in a chicken coop, you need to treat all surfaces, including perches, feeders and nests, with an insecticide solution After finishing the treatment, you should wait several hours.

It is important to remember that the room must be cleaned after the disinfestation process is completed. Old litter and garbage must be removed or burned. The treated room should be rinsed with water and, if possible, treated with lime.

Non-flammable surfaces can be burned with a blowtorch. It should be taken into account that it will take a long time to fight pests - it is advisable to repeat the disinfestation procedure after 2-3 weeks (insects at the pupal stage are less susceptible to poison and can survive).

To treat chicken coops use:

• chemical preparations based on chlorophos, karbofos, organochlorine compounds, etc. These are extremely effective products, but very toxic and can harm chickens. Before use, the bird should be moved to another room;
• synthetic pyrethroids, which, acting on the central nervous system of insects, cause their paralysis and death. You can carry out the treatment without removing the birds from the premises, but you should refrain from eating their eggs and meat for several days;
• natural pyrethroids (solutions of Dalmatian chamomile, mixtures of wormwood and tansy) are safer for poultry and people, but less effective. The advantage of natural remedies is the ability to prepare them at home.

You can move the cleaned chicken coop after ventilation.

Individual processing of birds

In parallel with disinfestation of the chicken coop, it is necessary to destroy pests directly on the birds . This is the most difficult and important part of the pest control procedure.

There are several ways:

• applying special drops (“Pyrethrum”, “Sevin”, etc.) to the back of the bird’s head;
• bathing and spraying feathers (solutions of Butox 50, Aversect, etc.);
• treating chickens with a brush or cotton swabs with powders (deltamethrin powder, dry Pyrethrum) - in this case, it is necessary to ensure that the drug does not get on the mucous membranes or in the eyes of the bird.

The anti-flea product should be applied to the bird's withers and carefully and thoroughly rubbed into the skin using a cotton swab (as shown in the photo)

When using, you must strictly adhere to the instructions supplied with the drugs so as not to harm your poultry.

Application of birch tar

Birch tar is a kind of our national brand. In the households of Russian peasants, this substance has been used for centuries for medicinal, veterinary and many other purposes. Until the beginning of the 20th century, tar was produced annually in large quantities, was one of the most important domestic exports, and was highly valued in Western European countries.

Today, birch tar is a common pharmaceutical preparation that summer residents who want to receive environmentally friendly products successfully use in the field of livestock and poultry farming, as well as when caring for their garden plots

Birch tar is an oily, thick, dark brown or black liquid with a strong, characteristic odor . The product is completely natural. It is made by dry distillation of birch bark taken from young birch trees. Tar is harmless to people, pets and birds not only when used externally: getting it into food does not pose any health hazard. In medicine, the product is used to treat skin diseases, and is included in some pharmaceutical preparations (for example, balsamic liniment according to Vishnevsky), as well as perfumery and cosmetic products (tar soap, shampoos and creams).

The popularity of birch tar is due to the following properties:

• extremely high antibacterial and antiseptic activity;
• the ability to quickly and effectively destroy or repel many parasitic insects and pests of garden crops;
• the possibility of use for the healing of minor skin lesions resulting from injuries or bites of blood-sucking parasites;
• ease of use;
• availability and relative cheapness.

The drug is perfect for ridding poultry of fleas, ticks, feather eaters and other insects that cause damage to the skin or plumage. In addition, tar is widely used in veterinary medicine (as an internal and external remedy): it is used to treat horses, cows, sheep, goats and pigs for a wide variety of ailments, from skin and hoof lesions to diseases of the digestive and respiratory tract.

In chickens infected with fleas, birch tar is carefully applied to areas of the skin that have been bitten by parasites, as well as those that have been pecked and scratched due to severe itching . Already after the first procedure, the number of fleas hiding in the plumage decreases sharply, since insects cannot tolerate the resinous smell of the drug. The product has a pronounced wound-healing effect, relieves itching and pain. Therefore, wounds on the skin of birds quickly heal, and the upper layer of the epidermis quickly regenerates.

To clean the chicken coop , a fumigation procedure is carried out in the room. Step by step it looks like this (material consumption is given for processing a room up to 50 sq. m.):

• 100 ml of birch tar is mixed with 800 ml of dry sawdust and left for 1 hour for thorough soaking;
• a wide vessel (for example, a basin) with a volume of 4-5 liters is filled with charcoal (you can take a store-bought one, which is intended for cooking kebabs). The coal is set on fire and brought to a state of slow smoldering;
• remove the birds from the chicken coop and close the windows tightly;
• A basin of coal is placed on the floor of the chicken coop. Sawdust soaked in tar is laid out in an even layer on top of the coals;
• when smoke comes out, the door is closed from the outside. The smoking device is left in the room until the coals are completely burned out (usually this takes from 3 to 4 hours);
• after the end of smoking, the chicken coop should remain closed for another hour. Then you need to open the door and windows and ventilate the room until the smell of smoke completely disappears.

In a chicken coop treated in this way, fleas and other bloodsuckers, as a rule, do not appear for six months. The effect can be further enhanced by hanging several small open vials of birch tar in places inaccessible to the bird (for example, under the ceiling). The smell of the product will be constantly present in the room, repelling not only skin parasites, but also flies, mosquitoes and other flying insects.

Using birch tar to rid poultry of parasites is effective and safe, and with a small flock it is not at all difficult. This is confirmed by the personal experience of many generations of domestic summer residents.

Preventive measures

The success of pest control depends largely on how regularly and efficiently preventive measures are taken to prevent re-infestation.

Prevention of chicken fleas involves the following procedures:

• regular cleaning of the premises from droppings, food residues, old sawdust or straw;
• adding twigs of wormwood, yarrow, tansy, geranium, lavender and other plants with a pungent odor to the new litter. In winter, you can use mint, lavender, and eucalyptus oils;
• protection from contact with wild birds;
• periodic visual inspection of chickens (it is better to look through a magnifying glass).

Before bringing a newly purchased bird into your home, it must be kept in quarantine for several days. Within reach of the chickens, place a container with a mixture of fine sand and ash (1:1) in a layer of 20 cm so that the chickens have the opportunity to “bathe” in it. Chickens roll in the ash, its smallest particles clog the respiratory organs of fleas, and grains of sand, when shaken, knock insects to the ground.

Ash is one of the most effective folk remedies for removing fleas from birds.

If you find fleas on poultry, do not panic. There are a large number of inexpensive and effective pest control products. Success will be guaranteed when implementing a set of measures. However, it should be remembered that prevention is a much cheaper and easier way to protect poultry from parasites than subsequent treatment.

Fighting methods

It is impossible to allow the spread of fleas among the chicken population, because it is impossible to expect high egg production and live weight gain from sick individuals.
Monitoring the livestock, examining suspicious individuals, maintaining hygiene in the chicken coop and timely treatment of sick birds are the only means of combating this disease. At the beginning of the disease, fleas in chickens are difficult to see due to their small size.

Therefore, during inspections, you need to pay attention not only to those places where parasites like to be most of all: the head and legs, but also carefully sort through the feathers on the bird’s body. If parasites are detected in at least a few heads of chickens, you must immediately treat the entire flock and disinfect the chicken coop and equipment

The poultry farmer must know how to deal with fleas in chickens, and most importantly, how to do it correctly.

You can quickly cure birds with the help of veterinary insecticidal preparations designed to destroy parasitic insects, and also combine them with folk remedies.

Poultry processing

You can remove fleas from chickens on small home farms, where there are not very many birds, using special drops intended for cats and dogs. They are sold in pet stores or veterinary pharmacies everywhere. The choice of funds is quite wide. Among the well-known and effective ones are:

• Leopard;
• Stronghold;
• Advantage;
• Dana;
• Frontline.

Medicines are used to treat chickens, calculating the dose according to the instructions. The products are applied in the same way as for cats and dogs - the solution is dripped onto the skin of the neck behind the head so that the chickens cannot be poisoned by the liquid. After 0.5–1 days, the fleas die. Heavily infected birds are re-treated. When used correctly, this remedy for chicken fleas is safe and does not cause side effects.

In large farms, where the number of livestock numbers in the hundreds, fleas can be removed from chickens using powders and ampoules with solutions of synthetic pyrethroids (insecticides that have a nerve-paralytic effect on insects). The following means give good results:

1. Butox (oily liquid in ampoules based on deltamethrin). In order to destroy chicken parasites, dilute the contents of 1 ampoule (1 ml) in 4 liters of water. Pour into a special sprayer and apply to the plumage of each chicken.
2. Deltamethrin powder. Infected birds are sprinkled with powder, excluding the head. For best effect, the drug is lightly rubbed into the skin.

When using insecticides in the form of liquid and powder, you must ensure that they do not get into your pets' eyes, nose and mouth. You need to work in a respirator and rubber gloves.

If there are few fleas, traditional methods of fighting parasites will help. Scatter small branches of wormwood or juniper around the room. Insects cannot stand their smell.

Or place containers with ash so that birds can bathe in it, thereby cleaning themselves from fleas.

Disinsection of premises

Complete treatment of the room where the sick bird lived helps to completely get rid of fleas in chickens. Before starting disinfection, you need to thoroughly clean the chicken coop, remove dirty bedding and droppings. This will allow you to immediately remove some of the eggs and pupae. Everything collected must be burned.

You can treat the chicken coop with an insecticide in capsules or a concentrate designed to kill fleas, bedbugs and cockroaches in residential areas. Use:

• Tsifoks;
• Karbofos;
• Tetrix;
• Kukarachey;
• Butox;
• Deltamethrin, etc.

Household aerosol insecticides in cans (Raid, Raptor or Combat) also give a good effect.

To disinfect a chicken coop, first remove all the livestock from it, then prepare an insecticide and spray or sprinkle powder on the perches, cages, nests, feeders and floor. Leave the room closed for several days. Then they ventilate it and lay out new bedding. Return the chickens to their place. After 2 or 3 weeks, another disinfection is carried out to ensure that all parasites that did not die during the first treatment and during this time managed to turn from pupae into adults are killed.

How to get rid of fleas using folk remedies

Of course, the last thing poultry farmers want is to expose their poultry to chemicals. But, since their effectiveness is not high enough, it is advisable to use them in the initial stages, or for prevention. So let's look at the most effective folk recipes.

Herbs

The most common herbs in the fight against various insects - wormwood and tansy - grow almost everywhere, especially in temperate climates. The pungent aroma of plants is an excellent repellent for pests, so you can hang dried bunches of these herbs throughout the chicken coop or place them in chicken bedding; they will help drive out uninvited neighbors. Wild rosemary, geranium, lavender, Dovlatov chamomile, rosemary, and potato grass also help well in fighting unwanted neighbors in the chicken coop.

Decoctions

Plant decoctions are more effective than just dried herbs. As a rule, the chicken coop is sprayed with decoctions, and sick birds are also treated. For greater effectiveness, it is better to repeat the procedure several times.

Wormwood and tansy

• 100 g of dried tansy and 40 g of dried wormwood are poured into 1 liter of boiling water, left for 3-4 hours, then sprayed into the room or used to treat chickens.
• Dried flowers of chamomile, rosemary and tansy (200-250 g of each herb) are poured with boiling water (5-6 l), left for several hours, then the poultry house is sprayed.
• Pour 20 g of fresh wormwood leaves into 400 ml of boiling water, hold in a steam bath for 10-15 minutes, then simmer. The broth should be rubbed into the skin of the chicken.

Ash

Ash is the most inexpensive folk remedy for blood-sucking parasites. In the poultry house or pen where the chickens roam, place a container with ash or a mixture of ash and sand (1:1). The birds bathe in this container, cleaning their feathers from various small insects, including fleas. This method will not get rid of the pests if they have already spread throughout the body, but it will help the chickens maintain hygiene and keep their feathers clean, which can prevent infestation.

Ash-sand mixture

In order for traditional methods to work for sure, it is better to use them comprehensively. For example, treat the corners of the chicken coop and bedding with a decoction of herbs, hang dried bunches around the chicken coop, and place a basin in the pen with an ash-sand mixture. Taken together, folk methods will help you quickly get rid of unpleasant neighbors.

Be sure to contact your veterinarian before using any product. He will help you choose exactly the method of processing chicken that is right for your case.

What to do if it’s too late to think about prevention

You need to fight as soon as you notice the first fleas, even on one bird.
It is no longer possible to start treatment with gentle actions; serious measures must be taken. Extensive disinfection of the chicken coop will help get rid of pests. But certain safety rules must be followed so that neither the birds nor the people cleaning the premises are harmed. You will have to process not only each chicken, but the entire chicken coop. It is important to follow the sequence - first the birds, then the room. This will cut off the parasites' escape route.

Escaped chicken fleas will be destroyed along with all garbage stored in the barn.

It is important to use the chemicals that will be used to treat the chicken coop exactly according to the instructions, otherwise the birds may suffer. It will not be possible to get rid of established pests quickly; you will have to treat the room more than once, then provide a means to fight the parasites for several hours, and then carry out the treatment again. Ideally, all garbage that you take out of the chicken coop should be burned. You can simply take it away from the premises, but then you are taking a serious risk.

All efforts made may result in the return of parasites. So don't save your time, but complete the flea extermination process completely.

And this is not all the necessary actions. To completely get rid of pests, the chicken coop room should stand alone for several days. This method of treating the chicken coop must be repeated a couple more times with a break of two weeks. Only in this case will treatment of birds for fleas be effective and relevant.

Chickens should be removed during disinfection

Handling Precautions

To achieve the greatest effect and not harm the health of chickens, before using liquids, sprays and other means.

Important! Read the manufacturer's instructions. During processing, ensure that the substance does not enter the respiratory tract of humans and birds. These medications are intended for external use; if ingested, they cause severe intoxication of the body. People need to work in rubber gloves, medical masks or respirators.

Treating the chicken coop for parasites

Since it is necessary to kill fleas and ticks in the chicken coop in the spring and summer, it is not difficult to do this if the bird

maybe on a walk. If the contents are cellular, then in order to poison the lice you need to completely vacate the room and only then begin processing.

For the chicken coop, various insecticidal and acaricidal preparations can be used, which are offered by veterinary pharmacies. You can also use the services of a decontamination service. Specialists will independently process the already cleaned chicken coop.

If poultry farmers are treating, it should be borne in mind that the preparations are quite toxic, and personal protective equipment is required.

You can choose what to treat from the list of the most effective against all insects:

• unoiled,
• butox,
• decis,
• entomazan (cypermethrin),
• avicin (medifox)

The technique is as follows:

1. vacate the premises
2. clean out litter and droppings,
3. prepare the working solution according to the instructions for the drug,
4. spray the room,
5. We maintain the exposure specified in the instructions.

Prevention of chicken flea infestation

The simplest, most effective way to avoid parasitic infestation is to clean the premises on time. How to get rid of fleas in a chicken coop : frequently change the contents of nests, bedding, and ventilate the room. In summer, hang bunches of fragrant herbs. Provide fresh ash mixture to the bathing area. Let the birds out to roam freely. From time to time, inspect the livestock and carefully examine the feathers of the bird.

It is important to pay special attention to nutrition. It should be balanced, with vitamins and microelements. Fleas are small insects, but they can cause enormous problems and losses. The dilemma of how to rid chickens of fleas will not arise if the problem is detected in time. If you carry out proper treatment, you can save the bird and restore productivity without major losses.

Treatment

How to get rid of period? Before treating chickens, it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures:

• Clear the room of fallen feathers, droppings, and litter. Pay special attention to perches and nests, and thoroughly clean wooden surfaces. If the walls and floor are concrete, wash them.
• Bring poultry keeping parameters into compliance with zoohygienic requirements.
• Conduct a diet analysis. Bring it into compliance with the required standards. The best option is to use professional feed intended for this poultry production group.

Compound feed

Preparation must be carried out quickly, otherwise the parasites will eat the chickens until they die. Two groups of drugs are used to treat poultry:

• Insecticides that kill insects.
• General disinfectants.
• Repellents that repel arthropods or prevent them from feeding.

Insecticides

Treatment of mallophagosis consists of exterminating feather eaters on chickens, as well as in the poultry house. Industrial pesticides are highly toxic to cold-blooded animals and are a medicine for warm-blooded animals. Most often, the situation is so critical that the insects are first destroyed, then the room is prepared, and the final eradication of the down-eaters is carried out 7–14 days after the first. This is what owners of primitive chicken coops located on personal farmsteads do. All the same, it is necessary to poison the down-eaters twice.

The principle of action of numerous insecticides, the active substances of which are permethrins, is almost the same. Thus, the Russian-made insecticide Entomazan S is used to treat poultry. How to remove bird eaters using an insecticide? It is diluted with water at the rate of 5 ml of concentrate per 1 dm3 of water. Chickens are sprayed with a working emulsion of 15–30 ml per head. It is recommended to re-process the instructions after 8–9 days.

Entomozan S

If the number of birds is small and the weather is warm, the chickens are bathed in some container, for example, a bucket

This procedure should be treated with caution, because if the active component of the drug is an organophosphorus insecticide, poisoning up to death cannot be ruled out. Young birds should not be bathed

The following drugs act similarly to Entomazan S:

• Butox.
• Unoiled.
• Ectomin.

According to a number of poultry farmers, they successfully fight chicken feather eaters with products intended for cats and dogs - Bars or Frontline sprays, Stronghold drops. It is not recommended to experiment with such products, because this is not provided for in the instructions for their use and is very expensive.

Iodine monochloride

Disinfectants

For small chicken coops there is a way to get rid of pathogenic microflora and parasites in the presence of birds. At the same time, respiratory diseases of chickens are treated with iodine vapor. Aluminum shavings or pieces of cut wire are added to ceramic or glass dishes. Fill with iodine monochloride (crystalline iodine dissolved in hydrochloric acid). A chemical reaction occurs with the release of violet iodine gas. The gas sanitizes all pores and crevices. The disadvantage of this product is its high corrosiveness towards metals.

Repellents

Traditional veterinary medicines have repellent properties. Among them there are many risky ones, fraught with death. The most acceptable is the use of a mixture of wood ash and sand. The improvised product is poured into a separate container inside the chicken coop or on the run. Chickens bathe in a dusty mixture, which becomes an obstacle for the lice eater trying to get to the skin. Arthropods cannot stand the smell of chamomile flowers, as well as tansy. They can be added to the litter, however, to ensure effectiveness, a large volume of phytomaterial will be required.

Chickens dust bathing

Why can parasites appear in humans?

Chicken lice, ticks and fleas, traces of their bites can be found on your own body. These parasites, capable of living and feeding on the bodies of chickens for years, cannot, of course, survive once on humans. The skin of people is harder, and the body temperature is lower, so insects are not able to feed, they die if they do not find “their owner” - a bird. Dogs, cats, and cows are also not suitable for chicken ectoparasites. And, nevertheless, everything possible should be done to get rid of them as quickly as possible, carefully treat the bite sites, and if swelling, fever, or other alarming symptoms appear, immediately go to the hospital.

After all, even an attempt to bite or damage to the skin can cause an exacerbation of some chronic diseases in the event of an allergic reaction or the penetration of viruses and bacteria into the body that are dangerous to humans.

Harm to humans and animals

These microscopic insects, which are carriers of many diseases, do not pose any danger to humans. The damage is caused by the chemicals used to treat chicken coops.

In some people, insect bites can trigger an allergic reaction. These parasites are dangerous for diabetics, people suffering from hemophilia, autoimmune disease and people with low immunity.

Chicken fleas do not settle on humans; they prefer to live and feed on the blood of poultry. This is due to the fact that the body temperature of birds is higher than that of humans, and is well suited for blood-sucking insects.

If found on the body, you just need to take a warm shower - this is how the parasites die.

TREATMENT of chickens and chicken coop against FEATHER EATERS, FLEAS and TICKS

Treating chickens against fleas, ticks, and feather eaters with the drug BARS

Chicken fleas, ticks, lice on humans - is it dangerous?

But parasites are capable of crawling and biting. They crawl under tight-fitting clothing (socks, underwear), into hair and can remain on the body of the new owner for several days, causing bites and causing itching and discomfort when moving.

Chicken fleas cannot feed on the blood of humans or other mammals. Therefore, as a parasitic species, they do not pose any direct harm. Fleas can bite a person or pet, but in most cases they will not be able to bite through thick skin and reach the blood capillaries. The human body temperature is unfavorable for chicken fleas, so they will try to leave the carrier as quickly as possible. But the greatest danger is posed by insect-borne pathogens of infectious diseases:

• brucellosis (Bruce's disease);
• salmonellosis;
• trypanosomes (sleeping sickness);
• encephalitis.

Chicken fleas

For birds, blood-sucking parasites are an even greater disaster than for humans. In some cases, flea infestation of chickens leads to the destruction of the livestock. Along with fleas, weakened birds can be haunted by lice, which cause lice.

The infection process is difficult to control due to the microscopic size of the parasites. But there are a number of signs that indicate an approaching threat to chickens:

1. the number of eggs laid is significantly reduced;
2. there is a nervous state;
3. they lose weight, but consume a lot of food;
4. often scratch with beak or claws.

These signs indicate infection with chicken parasites. To be sure of this, a visual inspection is required. To do this, you need to know what chicken fleas look like.

A detailed examination reveals entire colonies of arthropod parasites embedded in the skin of birds.

Chickens infected with parasites behave unusually. They often itch and pluck their feathers. In advanced cases, chickens become ill with anemia and die if left untreated. Birds eat a lot, but still lose weight rapidly. Often chicken fleas infect the entire population of poultry with infectious diseases and then the death of the entire flock occurs.

Fleas on parrots

Reasons for appearance

The first at risk are the owners of birds infected with ectoparasites, as well as those who have visited chicken coops. But there are other causes of lice, ticks and fleas.

1. Carriers can be any wild birds, including sparrows and pigeons. Access for chickens to a waste disposal site, where there may be remains of ducks and geese killed during hunting, can be costly for the owner of a homestead.
2. Visiting petting zoos, especially those where basic sanitation measures are neglected, do not want to spend money on a veterinarian. The “population” of such zoos often suffers from many diseases, including contagious ones.
3. Parasites can be found in chicken coop litter, straw, nests, on perches, and in crevices of buildings. Using untreated, used devices for poultry houses, or boards from a dismantled chicken coop, fertilizing gardens and summer cottages with straw and manure, you can also “catch” the infection.
4. Down and feathers are another source of infection.

Prevention against lice

To reduce the risk of bird infection, it is recommended to use the following tips:

It is important to protect the chicken coop from rodents, wild birds and animals. To do this, it is necessary to eliminate holes in the walls and roof of the room.

For walking birds, you need to use mesh pens that can limit contact with other birds. Make sure the chicken coop is spacious enough. The barn needs to be kept clean. Feed new food and change bedding regularly. It is necessary to constantly remove leftover food and feathers, debris and dirt. To repel insects, you can lay out collections of plants such as wormwood, lavender, and tansy in the barn. Check your chickens monthly for insects.

It is known that it is easier to prevent the occurrence and development of a disease than to fight it.

To protect birds from parasites, a number of preventive measures should be followed:

1. Eliminate holes in the chicken coop through which rodents, carriers of the disease, can get to the chickens.
2. Birds should be walked in a specially designated area, covered on top and sides with netting to prevent interaction with wild birds.
3. Clean the livestock habitat in a timely manner.
4. Build the premises according to the number of birds, avoiding overcrowding.
5. Use dry lavender, wormwood, and wild rosemary in the litter as parasite repellents. To prevent chickens from eating such herbs, they are placed around the perimeter of the chicken coop, in places that are inaccessible.
6. Conduct a preventive examination.

What is the danger?

Chicken ectoparasites are dangerous primarily for the birds themselves. Severe itching and infected scratches reduce the productivity of laying hens, and young animals stop gaining weight. Without measures aimed at destroying parasites and disinfecting premises and equipment, mortality may begin.

Fleas, ticks and lice cause outbreaks of dangerous infections that can literally empty a chicken coop. But these diseases are not dangerous for people. But the medications that have to be used to treat livestock make meat and eggs unfit for consumption for a long time and lead to a loss of expected profit from the sale of products.

A number of diseases are so dangerous that quarantine and destruction of livestock are considered the most reliable measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

In this case, homestead owners suffer enormous losses.

Important. Allergic reactions are dangerous for people, which can appear suddenly in people who have never been exposed to special substances that parasites introduce into the blood when they bite. Wounds from jaw punctures are fraught with complications for those suffering from diabetes, hemophilia, and a number of other systemic autoimmune diseases, with weakened immunity.

Measures to prevent down-eaters in chickens

To avoid infection of the chicken population with lice-eaters and feather-eaters, experts recommend a number of preventive measures, including:

• providing sufficient space to prevent the accumulation of a large number of individuals in a small area of ​​the chicken coop;
• daily treatment of the chicken coop premises using disinfectants;
• taking measures to prevent impurities, rodents and dirt from getting into the feed;
• organization of air exchange and ventilation systems in the room;
• ensuring timely change of bedding to prevent contamination of birds with traces of the droppings they produce.

Prevention of downy eating in chickens video

Feather eaters and lice eaters in chickens are parasites that live in the base of the feather and down cover on the surface of the skin of chickens. In addition to the negative impact that mites have on the health of poultry, the presence of lice leads to a decrease in egg production, slower growth and the formation of muscle mass in meat chickens.

If signs of insect damage to laying hens are detected in a timely manner, the treatment period does not exceed several weeks. However, in a neglected state, treatment against parasites can take up to six months. And it can be complicated by the presence of infection when the pathogen gets into areas of the skin damaged by the bird.

Therefore, it is very important to detect in time and begin to remove feather food from chickens. Don’t forget to subscribe to site updates to be among the first to receive the latest chicken news by email

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What diseases are carried?

Doctors are still extremely wary of ectoparasites, because just a few decades ago they caused epidemics among people. Chicken parasites are not carriers of typhoid, cholera, or plague, unlike, for example, rat parasites. But numerous bites can provoke not only inflammatory processes on people’s skin; many pathogens of dangerous diseases penetrate into the body through wounds.

But for neighboring farms and households, the threat is very real - ectoparasites move quickly from poultry house to poultry house, spreading diseases that are contagious to chickens. One individual infected with pseudoplague poses a threat to hundreds of animals. Therefore, it is important to immediately begin getting rid of lice, fleas and other insects.

Correct use of insecticides

Aqueous solutions for bathing, spraying birds and premises are prepared strictly in accordance with the instructions in the attached instructions, they are used in compliance with all safety precautions. Sprays are sprayed under the wings and tail of the bird; a prerequisite is that the head must be covered so that the product does not get into the eyes and mucous surfaces of the chickens

The drops are applied to the withers, directly to the skin, and not to the feathers of the bird.

Treatment of chickens

It is extremely difficult to combat ectoparasites, fleas and ticks in chickens; they are light in weight and have weak immunity. You can try treating them with Nyuda spray for children or using traditional medicine.

Advice! Experienced poultry farmers advise getting rid of parasites on young birds only using folk remedies.

The fight against parasites in chickens with folk remedies goes back hundreds of years, and many remedies have been tested by chicken breeders in modern conditions and have shown good results.

Traditional methods of ridding chickens of lice, fleas and ticks

What to do to rid chickens of parasites and cure them with folk remedies?

Here is a selection of recipes that have long been used by our ancestors:

• A mixture of kerosene and bite in equal parts. A glass of this product is diluted into a bucket of water and the bird is bathed in this mixture.
• Strong alcoholic infusion of hellebore root. Half a glass of infusion is diluted into a bucket of water and sprinkled under the wings and tail of the bird.
• Infusion of chamomile. Rub directly into the skin of the chicken for ten days. This method of treatment is also suitable for chicken.
• Ash and sand baths. In general, they should be present in the chicken coop and on the run at all times. Chickens, bathing in them, will get rid of parasites themselves.

• A mixture of ammonia, kerosene and benzene in equal parts can repel any parasite with its smell.
• Powder or infusion of wormwood used in the chicken coop or on the feathers of chickens will repel parasites.
• You can add wormwood, tansy and chamomile to the litter for prevention and as a deterrent.

Prevention

To protect your chickens from this scourge, you need to keep the chicken coop clean and maintain order every day. Litter and excrement must be constantly removed and taken out of the premises to a specially designated place where chickens do not have access. No heaps on the walks or in the corner - this is a breeding ground for the disease and a headache from long and tedious treatment, which can last up to six months. In addition, you need:

• Regularly treat perches and feeding areas with boiling water so that lice and feather eaters do not have a chance to linger in the chicken coop.
• Remove uneaten food residues so as not to create a favorable environment for parasites and not to create dampness.
• Do not allow poultry to come into contact with wild birds, which are quite capable of carrying parasites on their plumage. Walks should be covered or covered with netting.
• Do not exceed the area standards for keeping poultry. Crowding leads to lightning-fast infection from each other and through the litter.
• Ventilate rooms regularly, even in winter, since dampness and stagnant air are the most attractive environment for ectoparasites.
• Install ash and sand baths on the paddocks and in the chicken coop, keep them clean and change the contents as they become dirty.
• Buy food only from trusted manufacturers.
• Conduct a preventive visual inspection of birds to identify individuals with behavioral abnormalities - itching, tearing out feathers, sad, emaciated, and so on.
• Disinfect the premises once every three months using Butox or its analogues.
• Do not visit your chickens wearing clothes and shoes that you have worn in someone else’s chicken coop or at a market where they sell animal feed.
• A chicken family newly arrived on the farm must be kept in strict quarantine for a couple of weeks.
• Getting rid of rodents, which may well bring the disease on themselves.

Can chicken fleas and lice settle and live on humans? No, they can't! Of course, they can jump or crawl onto a person while interacting with an infected bird, and in some cases even bite; they will not stay on a person for long.

A person's lower body temperature and thicker skin will not allow them to feel comfortable. The parasites will prefer to leave the inhospitable host and die, unable to obtain food for themselves on the human body. Other animals such as cats, dogs, pigs, cows are not suitable for chicken parasites. But they have their own.

It is easier to prevent any disease by following established standards than to treat it for a long time and carefully.

How to treat?

Among traditional methods, most are ineffective and are aimed more at prevention, while drugs from pharmacies mercilessly destroy insects.

Description of drugs

Aerosols and solutions recommended by veterinarians are used to spray birds. If the livestock is small, you can purchase powder for powdering the plumage, which is no less effective.

1. Delcid is used to prepare a solution.
2. Butox 50 is a concentrated medicine that is also used to prepare a solution.
3. Milben is a ready-made solution for processing poultry.
4. Dust, colloidal sulfur are powders that are used to process feathers.

The premises in which chickens live are also treated with ready-made solutions or products that are easy to make at home:

• Karbofos;
• Chlorophos;
• Inkur.

Important. You should strictly follow the instructions when preparing mixtures so as not to harm the chickens or harm yourself, since any of them contains toxic substances.

Veterinary clinics offer to vaccinate birds: each bird is given an injection of Ivermec or another medicine that destroys parasites and protects against re-infection.

Our grandmothers often hung bunches of tansy, wormwood, and calendula in chicken coops, the smell of which parasites cannot tolerate.

1. Treating the room with kerosene also completely destroys lice and fleas.
2. Bedding made from sawdust from coniferous trees is effective, but only if it is replaced with fresh one daily.
3. Parasites cannot tolerate eucalyptus, mint, and lavender oils; they cannot live where these odors exist.

The easiest way to get rid of insects in a chicken coop was to treat the premises with boiling water and steam.

Step-by-step instruction

For large livestock, it is simply unrealistic to treat each individual by applying medicine to the plumage. Spraying is recommended.

1. Prepare an aqueous solution.
2. Pour it into a spray bottle.
3. Wait for the chickens to sit on their roosts.
4. Spray each one carefully, trying not to scare it.
5. Move the birds to a clean, insect-free room.
6. Thoroughly treat the poultry house in which the insects have settled.

If there are a small number of chickens, each one is picked up and the feathers are moistened with a solution using a cotton swab, brush or rag soaked in the solution.

When using powders, carefully brush the feathers and skin with a brush or cotton swab, especially on the neck, head, around the anus, and on the belly, carefully holding the chicken.

It is important to carry out all procedures correctly and thoroughly treat the premises in order to get rid of parasites forever.

Treatment

Fighting parasites is quite a troublesome business. Treatment may take from 30 days to six months. As soon as the disease is identified, it is necessary to begin to fight it. Currently, chemicals and traditional methods are used.

The use of medications is one of the most effective methods. These are a number of ready-made drugs used externally; they are often recommended by veterinarians. The livestock is processed, as a result of which the nervous system of the feather eaters is affected, which ends in the death of the parasites. Veterinary products do not pose a threat to the health of chickens.

Separately, it should be noted the use of Bars, Frontline, Neostamozan. They are prescribed to combat mallophagosis. Karbofos is suitable for treating the room.

One treatment will not be enough; it is recommended to reuse the medications again. This will help destroy parasites emerging from the eggs. Therapeutic measures are most effective when the feather cover of the entire livestock is completely treated.

Among folk remedies, kerosene has become widespread and has been used for a very long time. It has a detrimental effect on adult parasites and destroys chitin-coated eggs. To carry out the treatment, vinegar diluted with water is added to kerosene and the feathers are treated with the resulting mixture.

You can treat the bird room with another solution. Ammonia is mixed with kerosene and benzene. The product acts not only chemically, but also with a pungent odor, which kills beetles. The same mixture is also suitable for treating poultry.

Another method of ridding livestock of parasites is a set of herbs, which includes: chamomile, tansy, wild rosemary. The specific smell of plants repels insects, and they leave the feather cover of chickens.

Where are they hiding

Bloodsuckers attack at night, so you should not look for them on the body of birds. Just as it’s not easy to get rid of bedbugs in a chicken coop, it’s also not easy to find insects. Most often they hide in small crevices of the structure. When inspecting a building, it is important to pay attention to places where chickens stay for a long time - roosts, nests, etc. If you notice gray dots in the cracks, then these are bloodsuckers.

To identify parasites, it is better to check the room at night; they are active, and at this time it will be easier to find them. It is worth paying attention to places where it is constantly warm; it is convenient for parasites to hide there.

Preparing the chicken coop

Restoring a chicken coop is a responsible undertaking for which you need to prepare in advance by following these steps:

• preparation of the necessary tools (special preparations, spray bottle, bucket, shovel, broom, rags, bags, water);
• preparation of clothing and personal protective equipment (clothing covering most of the skin, gloves, respirator, safety glasses);
• moving birds to another room or to a walking area;
• removing debris from the poultry house (feathers, feces, leftover feed);
• cleaning nests and perches;
• after sanitization, additional treatment with products that are harmless to chickens (for example, diluted vinegar).

An insectoacaricidal agent that helps clean the chicken coop and chickens from fleas and ticks Di-inkur An antiparasitic agent against the red chicken mite, nematodes and for treating chicken coops Ivermek A universal remedy for skin parasites in chickens. Methods of use Deltsid Veterinary drug for the destruction of ectoparasites of birds and treatment of chicken coops Butox 50 How to quickly cure chickens from external diseases and parasites using creolin Creolin

In what cases is disinfection necessary?

Chickens produce a lot of waste. When mixed with food waste, they begin to decompose and release dangerous bacteria. If you do not disinfect the chicken coop, then a mass death rate and an epidemic of diseases will begin. When this happens, you can notice: laying hens have reduced egg production. The restless birds themselves constantly pick their feathers with their beaks.

Sick broilers lose weight, and their meat is dangerous to eat. The danger lies in pathogenic organisms and parasites. The main task of treatment is the destruction of infectious agents, blood-sucking insects, fungus, and mold. Disinfection of premises should be carried out regularly, regardless of the condition of the bird.

It is advisable to clean the shed at least once a quarter.

How to understand that it is bugs that bite birds

You can tell that birds are being bitten by chicken bugs based on a number of signs.

Here's what to pay attention to:

• constant scratching, excessively active cleaning of feathers. Bloodsuckers irritate the bird, preventing its normal existence.
• Loss of shine, deterioration in the appearance of feathers.
• Decreased immune defense of the body, frequent and prolonged illnesses.
• Weight loss.
• Reducing the number of eggs laid.

Important: if, in addition to chickens, there are other animals and birds on the farm, bedbug infestation will not bypass them.

For example, ducks will try to scratch their feathers with their beaks.

Since the main peak of bloodsucking activity occurs at night, they are quite difficult to detect during the day. Some birds do not feel the bites and therefore do not wake up.

Ecocide S

A good powder product with a complex effect. The main active ingredient is triple salt (potassium peroxomonosulfate). 1 gram of product contains 500 mg. Additional components are organic acids, surfactants, inorganic salts, sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate, and a citrus fragrance gives a pleasant smell. Ecocide C powder has small granules of gray-pink color, highly soluble in water.

The packaging of the drug varies. For small farms, small bags of 50 grams are ideal, and for large farms there are packages of 1 and 2.5 kg. Each package contains instructions in Russian, labeling, composition, general information, batch number and expiration date. This is quite enough to find answers to your questions the first time you use it.

Subject to the storage conditions of the drug, the maximum shelf life is five years. The drug is stored in its original packaging in a dry place, protected from sunlight. It is not advisable to be close to food and feed. When opened, the active properties are retained for four weeks, and the working solution must be used within 3-7 days. All this time it must be stored in a closed glass jar, avoiding exposure to sunlight.

Using this product you can very well disinfect chicken coops, perches, nests and other equipment. It has an extensive antimicrobial effect, inhibiting the development of viruses and bacteria. Ecocide C is a strong oxidizing agent. Thanks to a special composition that provokes increased acidity, the effectiveness increases several times.

The granules can be used in hard water and at low temperatures, regardless of the degree of contamination of the chicken coop. But despite the high acidity of the product, its solution does not cause corrosion of surfaces and does not have a negative effect on them. Before processing the premises, the livestock is removed from it, which is brought back in after 5-6 hours after completion of the work. According to the degree of danger, it belongs to the third class, therefore, during processing, basic safety measures should be observed in the form of using a respirator and a protective cape.

Chicken mite

Often found on large chicken farms, chickens rarely get sick with it in household conditions. Active in the warm season.

When this mite appears in the chicken coop, the bird develops a strong conditioned reflex. They remember that being indoors is accompanied by bites and refuse to go to roost at night. Chickens scratch, cough, shake their heads and scratch their skin with their paws.

The bird's combs lose their bright color and become pale with red spots. Egg production is greatly reduced, in some cases up to 70%, the chicken does not gain weight well or even becomes exhausted.

Tip: Walk along the cracks in the coop, place paper and tap a little. Small ticks may fall out of cracks, since parasites lay eggs in the external environment, and not on the host.

No less dangerous for chicken populations are down feather eaters - wingless insects that resemble a louse in appearance with a body length of up to 3 mm.

Choosing between self-disinfection and specialized companies

A clean chicken coop means healthy flock. The need for disinfection arises several times a year.
The frequency of the event depends on the number of individuals in the population, living conditions, general condition of the premises and other factors. For example, if the room is well ventilated and contains few birds in favorable conditions, then sanitary treatment is carried out once a year.

You can hire professionals to sanitize your chicken coop. Specialists will be able to carry out the most effective disinfection of the premises in a short time.

Be sure to read:

How to get rats out of a barn: effective methods of control using folk remedies and chemistry

But the disadvantage is the price of calling professionals from a specialized company. Self-sanitary cleaning of the premises will require less financial investment, but more time.

The most optimal is considered to be annual general disinfection by a professional company and independent quarterly disinfection.

Is it possible to cure a bird for bedbugs yourself?

Some time ago, dust powder was used to combat bedbugs, which was used to treat infected individuals. Today this drug is not recommended for use as it is not considered safe.

If there are not many bloodsuckers, it is advisable to try to cure the chicken of bedbugs yourself. Any of the pharmaceutical insecticides that are sold in the public domain are suitable for this.

Important: you cannot use several drugs at the same time.

Treatment will be more successful if you combine chemicals with traditional medicine recipes. For example, wormwood repels bedbugs with a sharp, specific aroma.

What do chicken parasites look like?

Chicken lice
Chicken lice are parasitic external insects that feed on the blood of mammals. They have microscopic dimensions - within 0.4-0.5 mm. The body is reddish-brown, flattened. After saturation, the filling of the stomach is visible.

Paws with small claws help them fixate on the victim. The head is quite large and mustachioed. The mouth contains chewing jaws (mandibles), with a sharp process for sucking blood. Externally, the chicken louse is similar to the human louse, which is where the name comes from.

Parasites emerge from egg-shaped capsules that develop over the course of a week. The louse nit is a translucent cocoon, whitish in color. Having hatched, the young begin to develop rapidly, moving into the adult stage. This leads to active distribution.

The lifespan of lice is 1 month, which they spend only on birds. There are varieties of lice that feed on both feathers and blood. Then bald spots appear on the bird.

Appearance

Chicken fleas can be distinguished from other insects due to their small size (up to 2 mm), jumping ability and high mobility. In addition, animals have:

• developed visual organs;
• elongated mustache;
• pronounced hunchback;
• lateral flattening of the chitin shell.

The average lifespan of these ectoparasites is 1.5 years, during which time they are capable of producing at least two thousand fertilized testicles. When an adult female lays eggs every day, they are scattered using her hind legs. When exposed to warm conditions, larvae emerge and feed on dander and chicken droppings. After pupation of the larvae, adult insects are formed that feed on the blood of poultry.

Signs of parasitism

When entering the barn, you can feel the appearance of small brown insects on the skin - chicken fleas, which is a sign of their progression in the room. Poultry become infected with the described parasites through:

• wild relatives;
• migration of fleas from nearby chicken coops;
• contaminated straw;
• other birds that ended up in the barn.

In the first stages of the appearance of parasitic insects in the chicken coop, it is difficult to identify them. The following signs should alert homeowners:

• the appearance of small blackish-brown moles on the head;
• nervousness of birds;
• development of bald spots on the body;
• excessive manifestation of appetite.

Parasitic insects can be accurately identified by a detailed examination of the chicken. Most fleas are found around:

• beak;
• eye;
• ridge

Blood vessels lie shallow here, from which ectoparasites draw the nutritional compounds necessary for their life.

Stages of disinfection of a home chicken coop

Before disinfection, the chicken coop must be cleaned and washed. These steps are the same for any chosen sanitation method. During these events, the chickens are moved to another place, they are brought back during the disinfection process using drugs that allow the presence of animals.

The first stage is cleaning

At this time, everything is removed from the chicken coop: drinkers, feeders, nests, perches are taken out. Then all garbage and waste products of birds are removed. This work is very dusty and dirty, so before you start, make sure you have gloves and a protective mask for yourself.

It is important that everything is removed; bedding, droppings and everything else must not be left behind, as disinfection will not be effective.

Second stage - washing

When the debris has been completely removed, a space is revealed that needs to be washed. The walls and floor are washed with any disinfectant for chicken coops, they are sold in veterinary stores. Perches, feeders and drinking bowls are also treated. It is undesirable to use household chemicals, as they can have a toxic effect on the bird’s body. In addition, these products will not be able to disinfect surfaces well.

The third stage – disinfection

Currently, two types of substances are used: chemical and organic. But each of them has disadvantages. If the drug contains chlorine, then its fumes affect the state of the respiratory system. Formalin is prohibited for use, as it is a dangerous carcinogen. Apple cider vinegar is too weak and will not cope with disinfection. Lime can only be used in conjunction with special preparations for disinfecting the chicken coop. There are currently products on the market that can make cleaning a room easier and disinfecting it.

Also, the advantages of ready-made solutions include a wide range of actions; the use of several drugs becomes unnecessary. Safe use is confirmed by evidence and testing. Clear dosage standards that are easy to calculate for your room size. There is a good range of drugs on the market. The most popular today is virocide.

It is made in Belgium, certified and safe for animals and birds. Disinfectant components kill germs, viruses, and fungi. At the proper concentration, it is also used in the presence of animals and birds. After treatment, the drug does not need to be removed; it is safe and biodegradable. Applied by aerosol method. The preparation of 0.25-0.5% solution is diluted taking into account 1 liter per 4 m2, with an exposure after application of 30 minutes. Among domestic drugs, monclavit and bactericide are also popular. Monclavit is used for sanitation in the presence of birds using the aerosol method. Dosage 3 ml per 1 m3 using the cold fog method according to the scheme: spray for 10 minutes, break for 30 minutes and so on 8 times, repeat after 1 week.

Industrial disinfection

Let's talk about how the disinfection process works in large poultry factories. It is worth realizing that in the conditions of raising chickens at home, it is difficult to achieve perfect cleanliness, rather, it is impossible.

To do this, you will need special equipment and the ability to transfer the birds somewhere for one week.

In factories, such a procedure is an integral part of a huge technological process. A large number of livestock require complex manipulations to eliminate infectious agents.

Here is an example of industrial-scale cleaning in stages:

1. The premises are scrupulously cleared of bird droppings. Sweep the floor from dust and small debris.
2. Using high pressure washing machines, all surfaces are washed. Detergents are often added to water. It is best that the water is hot.
3. If the chicken coop has concrete surfaces, then they should be whitewashed. Whitewashing is carried out using slaked lime.
4. The process of preventing infection is carried out using wet spraying of walls, floors, and tools.
5. At the final stage, treatment occurs using aerosols. The best results are achieved when using devices for the production of thermal aerosols. Then the chicken coop is closed for a day, sometimes it takes longer. The timing is determined based on the technological gap.
6. As a result, the premises are analyzed and laboratory control is carried out. If the result is unsatisfactory, then the final step of the procedure is repeated again.

The goal of any disinfection is to achieve complete sterility of the chicken coop.

In addition, such sterility is not required at home. Farming will not be so intensive, there will be much fewer chickens, the number of livestock will be replaced rarely - these factors are partly the protection of birds from acute outbreaks of the disease.

In agriculture and on small farms, incomplete disinfection is most often used, even in the presence of chickens.

How and how to properly disinfect an empty chicken coop

It is best to treat the chicken coop when there are no birds there. They need to be removed from the house so that they do not interfere. In this regard, the best time to carry out disinfection measures is the warm period of the year.

Parasites actively reproduce in late spring and early summer, so it is wiser to disinfect the premises against ticks, lice and fleas at this time of year. It is advisable to treat the chicken coop a second time a year - in winter, when the birds do not go out for walks, they sit in the chicken coop almost constantly, which increases the likelihood of infection.

The choice of disinfectant depends on the pathogen and the materials on which the solution will come into contact. It is best to burn metal cages and equipment with a blowtorch.

Using aerosols

The high efficiency of using aerosol disinfectants is explained by the fact that the gas cloud created by them penetrates into all corners of the poultry house and envelops all objects. Aerosols can be produced in cans, ready for use, or they can be products consisting of several components that must be combined for a reaction to begin, releasing gas.

Sulfur bombs also create a gas cloud. They perfectly destroy fungi, mold, and parasitic insects. One checker is enough to process 10 square meters. m poultry house. During the procedure, the chicken coop must be hermetically sealed so that the gas inside is at the required concentration.

After fumigation, when the time of exposure to the drug ends (after about 2-3 hours), the room is opened and ventilated (0.5-1 day) and only after that the chickens are allowed in there. In addition to sulfur, iodine bombs are also used to disinfect the chicken coop.

Hydrochloric acid is also used in a home chicken coop. It is poured into a jar, potassium permanganate is added at the rate of 5 parts to 1 part. The jar is left for 0.5 hours in the chicken coop, after finishing the treatment it is ventilated.

Saline solutions

They are used to destroy microorganisms and their spores. Chlorine-containing disinfectants are quite economical and available. Some drugs, for example, sodium hypochlorite, can be prepared independently.

To do this, take bleach and soda ash at the rate of 0.2 kg per 1 liter of water. The solution will reach its greatest efficiency after 1 day; it must be stirred for the first 6 hours so that the reaction takes place throughout the entire volume of the mixture.

Those who suffer from asthma should not work with chlorine-containing products; chlorine vapors irritate the respiratory tract and cause suffocation.

Antiviral treatment

Special preparations have been developed to destroy viruses, such as bird flu, and they can also be used in a home chicken coop. If a viral infection is suspected, you can choose one of the insecticides for treatment: Virocide, Bianol. Belgian Virocide, produced in 20 liter canisters.

The drug has a wide spectrum, it is safe for humans and birds, it also works at low temperatures, there is no need to remove residues, it decomposes. You can use a garden sprayer to spray the solution.

Glutex concentrate, produced in 5 and 1 liter containers, is capable of destroying all known pathogens and fungi. Working solution: 1 part of the drug to 100 parts of water for prevention and 1 to 200 for outbreaks of infectious diseases. Consumption of the drug is 0.3-0.5 l per square meter. m. Exposure time – 3 hours.

Ecocid-S is another product that is used to disinfect poultry houses. Exposure time to 0.5-1% working solution is 2 hours, ventilation is 5-6 hours.

A solution (1%) of the drug Delegol can also be used to disinfect the room. Consumption – 0.5 l per sq. m, exposure time – 6 hours.

Lime

To treat the poultry house, use regular bleach. It is poured into a basin and left in the poultry house for a day; the chickens are first removed. Lime destroys a wide variety of pathogens and keeps the room clean for a long time, but it also has disadvantages. This is a sharp, specific smell to which chickens can react with a decrease in appetite and egg production.

For greater efficiency, creolin is added to lime. Dilute creolin for processing in a ratio of 1 to 1. The chicken coop is whitewashed with quicklime. It is applied to the walls with a brush or sprayer. The product is also scattered on the floor.

Iodine solutions

Iodine monochloride is considered an effective drug. In order to obtain a disinfecting gas, an iodine solution is poured into a jar and an aluminum plate, wire or small pieces are placed in it. Pinkish smoke is released, which serves as a disinfectant. The treatment period is 0.5 hours, after which the chicken coop is ventilated.

The most popular folk recipes

1. For this product you will need acid (you can take hydrochloric or sulfuric acid). It is added to a wide-necked jar, then potassium permanganate is poured in in a ratio of 5 to 1. The resulting mixture is kept for 30-40 minutes in the chicken coop. Afterwards, you need to thoroughly ventilate the room.
2. Here you will need to take crystalline iodine. It is poured into any ceramic dish (it is easy to calculate the amount of product - for every 20 cubic meters of a chicken coop you will need 10 grams of iodine). Then aluminum powder (no more than 1.5 grams) and 1.5 ml of water are added to the iodine. You can disinfect premises directly in the presence of birds. Just don’t forget to ventilate the chicken coop half an hour after using the product.