On occasion, this blog will feature tips on raising 4-H project livestock based on University of California literature. In this case, I'd like to highlight a peer-reviewed UC Agriculture & Natural Resources booklet on dealing with poultry pests, entitled "Common Lice and Mites of Poultry: Identification and Treatment."
Lice and mites are the most common pests found on California poultry. There are two primary kinds of lice, chicken louse (Menacanthus stramineus) and shaft louse (Menapon gallinae). These are ecoparasites that spend their entire life on their animal host. Chickens should be checked for them at least twice a month. Chicken mites, northern fowl mites, and scaly leg mites are all also commonly found on chickens, most notably in the autumn.
In the aforementioned UC Agriculture & Natural Resources publication, the authors refer to northern fowl mite as "arguably the most important external parasite of caged poultry in the state." Poultry owners should check for infestations routinely.
Methods for controlling pests include pesticide resign strips, liquid pesticide sprays, and Carbaryl dust. For more information, click here and download the free ANR publication.
Sep 3, 2009