Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
You can control lice if you are proactive and don't wait to be reactive. This is particu-
larly necessary if you want to control them using an insecticide-free method, suitable for
a farm that raises organic meat and eggs.
I used one method that worked fairly well for me as a child growing up in the West
where our house was heated with wood. It involves using the wood ashes to help the
birds rid themselves of the lice. The lye in the wood ashes seems to have a harmful ef-
fect on the lice.
The steps for that method follow:
1.
Take the wood ashes from the heater or stove and place them in a large metal pan
to cool, away from anything flammable, for several days.
Louse
Lice eggs on vent feathers
2.
Once they've cooled, put them in an old washtub. Be absolutely sure there are no
hot coals. You don't want to burn down your chicken house.
3.
Place the cooled ashes in the pen and let the birds loose.
