A very common problem that arises among poultry owners is the appearance of fleas; they are especially common in chickens. They are difficult to detect in the initial stages of the lesion due to their rather small size, and the reproduction of these parasites occurs at enormous speed. And if measures are not taken to rid the bird of fleas, this can lead to an outbreak of various diseases and mass pestilence.
What is a chicken flea and how to detect it
Chicken fleas are not much different in appearance from those that parasitize domestic animals and other mammals. They are quite small, often difficult to distinguish among the feathers with the naked eye. Fleas have a flattened body, about 1.5 millimeters in length, covered with a strong armored shell. The color is dark - from burgundy to brown.
Thanks to their developed hind limbs and the ability to jump far, they quickly spread among chickens. Fleas attack birds in large colonies, which include hundreds of parasites. The flea is firmly attached to the skin, this allows it to parasitize the victim for a long time.
The most comfortable temperature for their life and development is +40 C degrees, so they will quickly die on the body of another animal or person.
Symptoms of appearance
In most cases, the damage begins unnoticed; the pests are practically invisible under the feathers. This is facilitated by the very small size of fleas. Only when the parasites crawl out to feed on open areas of the chicken body (head and paws) can they be seen with the naked eye. Outwardly, they resemble brown growths or clusters of moles.
And this, in turn, means that the colony of parasites on the bird has grown to hundreds, and possibly thousands of inhabitants. Such a spread is already becoming dangerous to the health and life of the chicken. For the rapid reproduction of parasites, a combination of factors is needed, such as: lack of cleaning and preventive treatments, changing chicken litter, warmth, and high humidity levels.
Harm and symptoms:
- pain and constant itching from parasite bites - chickens begin to peck at themselves and pluck out feathers;
- anxiety and irritability, birds look disheveled and unkempt;
- sudden weight loss with good appetite;
- the appearance of bald patches on the feather cover;
- visible decrease in egg production;
- dark crusts, growths that appear near the eyes or crest, and under the feathers everything is literally “teeming” with fleas;
- danger of helminth infection, nervous and physical exhaustion, subsequent mass mortality of birds.
How to get rid of chicken fleas
To rid birds of small parasites, they use both proven chemicals and effective folk methods.
Chemical means
Nowadays there are enough chemicals on the market to combat parasites, which are used both for chickens and other animals. They are presented in the form of drops, aerosols, powders, ointments and emulsions.
Butox
The chemical Butox-50 will help remove fleas from chickens. This drug is used for external treatment of birds and other animals. Butox is also suitable for disinfecting residential and commercial premises. It is an oily liquid of a light yellowish hue. It is characterized by a very effective action in the fight against various parasites.
What is doubly pleasant when choosing a drug is that, despite all its advantages, it costs relatively little and is easy to use, and the positive result will be noticeable after the first time.
The active ingredient in Butox is the pyrethroid deltamethrin, which is part of many well-known insecticides. It gradually accumulates in the body of parasites and has a strong effect on the nervous system, causing paralysis and death of fleas. What is characteristic is that the insects die and do not scatter after using the drug. To rid chickens of them, Butox is used for spraying birds, medicinal baths and treating chicken coops.
To prepare a solution for bathing birds, add 0.9 liters of Butox to 1 ton of cool water.Then mix everything well to distribute the drug evenly in the liquid. After the chickens, groups of 10-20 birds are driven through a bath with a medicinal solution. For spraying, the following concentration is used: 100 milliliters of the chemical are added to 100 liters of water and mixed thoroughly.
Then the entire feather cover is thoroughly treated with a spray bottle and allowed to dry. There is no need to rinse off the liquid after spraying. In addition to treating the birds themselves, it is also necessary to secure the premises in which they are kept. To do this, prepare a solution with which the entire chicken coop is well sprayed. The concentration is 20-30 milliliters of the drug per bucket of water.
Deltamethrin powder
To rid birds of parasites, another effective chemical is used - deltomethrin powder. Available under various names: Basalt, Barrier and in various packaging, from 7 grams to 3 kilograms. The drug, with the recommended dosage and compliance with safety rules, is low-toxic and not dangerous for warm-blooded animals and birds.
It is a grayish-white powder with a sharp, specific odor. For treatment, it is applied to the skin of the bird, spreading the feathers with your fingers, and powdering the feather cover directly. Birds are also sprayed with dust sprayers, the consumption is 10-15 grams of the drug per 1 chicken.
The powder is also suitable for treating an empty chicken coop - the consumption rate is 100-150 grams per 1 square meter of area.
Folk remedies
Not only chemicals, but also folk remedies that have been proven by more than one generation will help get rid of parasites.
Herbs
Medicinal and spicy herbs with a strong odor help fight bloodsuckers.But it is important to remember that folk remedies are effective only in the initial stages of infection, as well as for preventing the appearance of fleas. In case of severe damage, only chemical agents are effective.
The smell of herbs such as wormwood or tansy, lavender, rosemary, chamomile suppresses and repels fleas. They are added to bedding, scattered around the chicken coop, and bouquets (brooms) are made from them, hanging from the ceiling.
Decoctions and infusions
To combat fleas, decoctions and infusions of aromatic spicy and medicinal herbs are used. Wormwood has proven itself especially well. To prepare the decoction, take 50-60 grams of fresh plants (although dry ones can also be used) and pour 1 liter of boiling water over them. Then keep it steamed for 10-15 minutes and after cooling, rub it into the skin of the chickens.
The method for preparing the infusion is as follows: take 30 grams of wormwood and tansy and pour 3 cups of boiling water. Then cook for 10 minutes and then infuse from evening until morning. Afterwards, filter and spray the chicken coop with it, paying special attention to secluded places.
Ash
The most convenient and simplest way to prevent damage and fight fleas is wood ash (pure or mixed with river sand). In the chicken coop or exercise yard, place containers (baths, basins) with the mixture. Chickens, taking such baths, themselves get rid of pests that cannot tolerate ash. Moreover, the chickens themselves know when it is time to “bathe”.
The owners will only have the task of periodically pouring out the old ash and adding new ones.
Consequences for chickens
Parasites, especially when spread en masse, can cause significant harm to chickens - fleas are carriers of many diseases and contribute to parasite infection:
- Brucellosis (or Bruce's disease).
- Salmonellosis.
- Trypanosomiasis.
- Helminths.
- Plague.
- Sleeping sickness.
Danger to humans
This type of flea itself is safe for humans and other animals - they cannot bite through the skin and live at inappropriate temperatures. But if you come into contact with a bird that is infected with diseases carried by fleas, a person can become infected himself.
Infection occurs both through consumption of meat, eggs of sick birds, and through tactile contact. And the consequences for humans can be very serious, even fatal..
Preventive actions
To maintain high productivity and health of chickens, owners need to regularly carry out flea prevention, which includes the following factors:
- you need to fence the exercise yard with a net, avoid contact of domestic chickens with other birds, including neighbors;
- regular cleaning of the chicken coop, periodic change of bedding;
- the use of traditional methods to prevent the appearance;
- periodically “bathing” chickens in ash baths, placing them in the exercise yard.
