# feather lice



## Popeye Pigeon (Apr 12, 2007)

I have 4 pigeons in an outdoor flight cage & they have feather lice. I know about the dusts & washes that are available. I'd prefer to use a natural or organic treatment. Any suggestions?


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Pyrethrin based sprays come from a flower. Garlic, brewers yeast and nutritional supplements of this kind have long since been thought of as helping
dogs and cats w/flea infestations. If you went this route you would want to follow already recomended guidelines of administration for pigeons. If you are thinking about DE...Diatomacous Earth....you need to take a look at some of the
'pros and cons' that are currently on the internet table for discussion. There is
a concern about on-going inhalation of the dust for the birds, as this is a health 
issue for folks that work with this clay for a living.

fp


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

Watrer with salts or vinegar will keep them at bay. you cna add a bit of dettol (antisepic liquid) to it also, works well for lice


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

warriec said:


> Watrer with salts or vinegar will keep them at bay. you cna add a bit of dettol (antisepic liquid) to it also, works well for lice


Yes, good point, Warriec. Treating their housing environment along w/pigeon salt baths is very helpful for feather parasites.

fp


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

Access to bathing with good ole H2o is one of the best ways to rid your birds of external pests, showers or baths, some pigeons prefer one or other or both. You can add ACV to the water, I do.


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## Hamza (Dec 28, 2006)

warriec said:


> Watrer with salts or vinegar will keep them at bay. you cna add a bit of dettol (antisepic liquid) to it also, works well for lice



Dettol is made in Pakistan by Reccket benickster n i use it as a disinfector of bathing/watering balls as well as my hands.. Warriec, can i put it in their bathing water for treatment of lice?? Wont the smell affect them??

Which salts are used??


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

use very little dettol, little as they amount you can bathe in without it stinging you. make sure that the birds have had there water to drink before putting the bath out for the. 

I use normal rock salt although I have been asvised to use specialised salts which i cant get my hands on. 

something i can suggest if you have a few birds is to manually dip the body of the birds in a stronger solution of dettol or similar or salt (dont dip the hed). hold bird down for few mins. I used to do ths for all new birds earlier nad had good results. now too many birds to do this. You will have to do this to all the birds in one go.


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## Heather-Mole (May 16, 2006)

*Is that what those were?*

I always wondered what these were in there feathers  I used some powder stuff ( i used it for the horses aswell as the label says you could se it on a variety of animals ) But it never seemed to work. So i will use this, So you put rock salt into a bath for them? or dettol?


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

yes, stronger solution if you are dipping, very light solution if you are allowing themself to bathe. We have to improvise treatments as fing medicines secifically for pigeons is almost imposible.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

*Garlic Juice And Acv*

I fly racing pigeons and I have for years used garlic juice and apple cider vingar two or three times a week,at the rate of 2 table spoons acv and 1 tablespoon garlic juice to 1 gallon of drinking water,I rarely see feather lice on my birds when I do its after a race, a quick spray under each wing and thats the end of the lice. .GEORGE


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

sprays are good if you dont have an infestation. if you have an infestation the best is baths and dip to control. eradication is very difficult


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## Heather-Mole (May 16, 2006)

*Hi Again*

So is it Rock Salt I use or Dettol what Works best?


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Heather-Mole said:


> So is it Rock Salt I use or Dettol what Works best?


Heather-Mole, I doubt that you would have a problem purchasing the Pigeon
Bath Salts in the UK that are made specifically for pigeon bathing. You might
check w/your pigeon mix supply store, or where ever you purchase your
supplies locally. Everything for Pets may carry them as well, hopefully
someone from the UK will see this and let you know where they purchase theirs.

fp


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## warriec (Feb 2, 2007)

If a product is readily available you should go for it. In hamza's and my case we dont have products to buy locally so we have to substitute and try various thing.


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## Popeye Pigeon (Apr 12, 2007)

*Thanks!*

Thanks for all of the great treatment suggestions. My adopted pigeon was born with a beak defect which allows for limited preening. Whichever solution that I bathe my pigeon in, do I rinse him afterward or allow the solution to stay on him? Plus how do I know the difference between a few lice & an infestation? He has about 3 feathers infected with the lice on each wing.


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## feralpigeon (Feb 14, 2005)

Popeye Pigeon said:


> Thanks for all of the great treatment suggestions. My adopted pigeon was born with a beak defect which allows for limited preening. Whichever solution that I bathe my pigeon in, do I rinse him afterward or allow the solution to stay on him? Plus how do I know the difference between a few lice & an infestation? He has about 3 feathers infected with the lice on each wing.


I always look at it this way, if I have a few and do nothing, there is sure to
be more. I'd go w/the supplements at the rate George Simon gave you for
Garlic Juice and ACV. Get a bottle of Scalex if you see straglers once
on a program w/the supplements for Popeye. Just make sure that you cover
his head when spraying. Also, remember that the Pigeon Salt baths will
help immensely w/feather parasites.

fp


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## pigeonpoo (Sep 16, 2005)

Two crushed cloves of garlic, left to soak over night, in one litre of water and then add the litre to the bath water.

Harkers Feather Drops (UK) - part the feathers and put two drops on the skin between the shoulders. This is a creeping deterrent so needs to go on the skin not the feathers.


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## Lovebirds (Sep 6, 2002)

Popeye Pigeon said:


> Thanks for all of the great treatment suggestions. My adopted pigeon was born with a beak defect which allows for limited preening. Whichever solution that I bathe my pigeon in, do I rinse him afterward or allow the solution to stay on him? Plus how do I know the difference between a few lice & an infestation? He has about 3 feathers infected with the lice on each wing.


Just let the bird dry naturally. I would consider an infestation LOTS and LOTS of bugs........but if there's three feathers on each side, I would suspect there's more. I've seen birds, white ones, with so many of these critters, you didn't even have to pick up the bird to inspect it. A few good baths and he'll be fine. Then maintenance is the key.


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## Nuke (Mar 26, 2007)

There are also organic nesting materials you can use in the loft that repel feather lice,like tobacco leaves or stems,pine needles,dried up peices of garlic or onion.


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## andyw (Mar 3, 2006)

hi i find that the pine needles work really good 
but they have to be soft needles 
not from the spruce family 
red or whit pines will do just fine


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