PROTECT YOUR FLOCK:

Controlling Parasites: Naturally or With Chemicals?

By Patrick Haley

I have a confession: I was not born an environmentalist. I grew up with brand names mashed into my head by TV commercials and newspapers ads selling false hope. You know these brand names: Ortho, Scotts, Wil-Kil, Orkin and RAID. They promote a product that is fast and effective in killing anything ‘pest’ related-your all-one-answer. Unfortunately, two of the products contained a harmful 4-D ingredient known as Agent Orange. This discovery stirred my curiosity and was a motivating factor to find a natural, healthier and effective alternative solution to chemicals.

I receive hundreds of calls from distressed backyard poultry enthusiasts. The majority of these callers are straight to the point: “My birds have bugs…”; not lice, mites or some other type of parasite, but, no, their birds have “bugs”. Their simple calls of “bug” issues typically become rather lengthy and detailed, informative conversations. It starts with a description of the specific behavior(s) of each of the birds: “Out of a flock of 12, three won’t go in the coop at night,” or “My favorite bird just lies around and sulks all day.” Some conversations turn comical while others are heartfelt because they didn’t catch the parasite infestation in time. Ultimately, my goal is to arm the callers with a new-found arsenal of information on parasite control. And, at the end of the day, if I can educate or guide my fellow farmers toward in the right direction, it leaves me with a sense of pride.

Why is parasite infestation an issue? Parasite infestation will affect the bottom line of either the small backyard flock or the massive poultry house. Consider the tremendous increase in feed and transportation costs, parasites, when left uncontrolled, how it can devastate a farm, not only in mortality rates but in the reduction of egg production and that of body weights of broilers.

How do we protect our investment? Do we use toxic chemicals or go the natural route? Chemicals are not selective; they target and kill the basic ecosystem of our environment. If chemicals kill bees, what do they do to ladybugs and other beneficial insects? How can we grow flowers, farm, maintain gardens and raise crops by killing the insects that assist in their growth? Without a pollinating insect we would have a very limited harvest to look forward to. Yet we use these chemicals thinking we are protecting our flocks.

What To Look For: Fleas: The order of Siphonaptera family Leptopsyllidae genus Leptosylla is a flea that lives on birds. Visible indication of fleas or mites is aggressive behavior, constant scratching, reduced egg production, lack of appetite and lack of feathers. The family Ceratophyllidae flea lives on rodents. It is very common that rodent fleas can also live on birds.

Lice plural of louse: The order of Pediculus family, a small invertebrate animal. Small flattened wingless parasites that feed on warm-blooded animals.
Identification: Table II assists you in what time of day you are able to detect infestation. No flock is ever 100% parasite free. We do not live in a sterile environment so control is a must!

Mites and Lice: Mites and lice commonly travel to chickens, game birds and turkeys via wild birds such as sparrows, black birds and pigeons, to name a few. Wild birds carry disease and parasites that can be easily transferred to your flock. Rodents also carry diseases and parasites. On both types of carrying hosts parasites can live for several weeks to months, mating, hatching and transferring to your birds. No farm is immune to unwanted outsiders like mice, rats or wild birds. Mites are related to the tick family. There are 20,000 species of mites known as arthropod invertebrates sub class Acari (eight legs two body parts). Lice, on the other hand, have three parts: head, thorax and abdomen with six legs. There are one million species of lice. For our discussion there are five major poultry mites you need to look out for (Table II).

Natural Ways to Control Infestation
Never introduce new birds to your flock without making sure they are parasite and disease free. Houses: Bird droppings are a magnet for disease. Remember, several times a year you need to do a thorough cleaning and disinfecting of the entire poultry house. Thoroughly remove all bedding and litter from coop. It is highly recommended that all debris be removed from premises or burned. Spray everything, including cracks and crevices. Each and every bird, regardless of infestation, should be sprayed or dipped. Grounds: It is recommended that grounds around poultry house also be sprayed. Roosts: Painting roosts will help to combat chicken mites and bed bugs. [Scaly leg mite: Never, never use any automotive product on your birds]. It is very difficult to know what parasite has infected your birds since one parasite can mimic another. Using a magnifying glass will help you identify your infestation.

Misconception
A common misconception is that chemicals work better than organic products. Nothing can be further from the truth. Organic products need time to produce the desired results. Chemicals provide an instant kill result that can be seen within minutes. Organic products may take a few days. We all raise poultry for a variety of reasons: eggs, meat consumption, or as loving pets. You’ve the heard the famous aphmorism, “you are what you eat,” and this is also true with your poultry. Chemical treatments will eradicate a parasite problem and, at the same time, may harm your bird without you knowing it. As we see from Table I, chemicals will also destroy beneficial insects that protect our environment. Chemicals come with hazard warnings too numerous to mention for this article. Please remember anything you place on the ground will be ingested by your flock. Very few farm stores offer natural organic products that protect our livestock and our environment. I spoke with a farm store owner that said he only carries the nasty stuff because his customers don’t ask or don’t know that there are natural products available. This tells me that if you, the consumer, do not demand safe and natural products, retail stores have no reason to carry them. So please if you truly want to protect your birds naturally, insist – be persistent – that your local farm stores carry natural products. Most aggressive mail order companies are offering organic products, and those that don’t, should. A parasite free bird is a healthier, more productive bird.