[01] Muhammad Sarwar, Agricultural Biotechnology, National Institute for Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Almost all chickens Gallus gallus Linnaeus have external parasites and lice are the most common pests crawling on skin under feathers, and can cause problems when their load explodes. Chickens with lice may go off their feed, lose weight, reduce egg laying, experience feather loss and generally look unthrifty. This article is designed to improve understanding of poultry louse infections, how to spot an infestation, how lice operate in poultry and the variety of treatment options available. There are many different species of lice that can infest chickens including chicken body louse (Menacanthus stramineus), shaft louse (Menopon gallinae), fluff louse (Goniocodes gallinae), wing louse (Liperus caponis) and chicken head louse (Cuclotogaster heterographus). Of these, the most common type of lice that chickens suffer from and probably most common species is M. gallinae. All of these lice are permanent ectoparasite of domestic chickens and they complete their entire life cycle on the host. The chicken body louse can reach problematic levels regardless of housing or production type (caged, cage-free, free-range or backyard poultry). The other listed species are rare or unknown to infest commercial poultry, but have been documented on backyard chickens worldwide. Chicken lice feast on feathers, scales of dry skin and any sores on the bird. Unlike to other types of lice, they do not actually suck the chicken's blood per se, but only feed on blood from lesions the bird acquires by other means. Signs and symptoms of infected chickens are a drop in egg production, broken feathers, feather loss, over preening, red or sore skin around the vent area, scratching, lice crawling around the shaft of feathers, and whitish grey nits (clumps of eggs stuck to the bottom of feather shaft, but most commonly around the vent area). Lice live on chicken's skin underneath feathers, so the entire life cycle happens on host and it is much easier to treat lice compared to other parasites. In small numbers, lice do not cause much irritation to chickens and they try to manage their lice by having dust baths, which will suffocate lice. However if chickens have large numbers of lice living on them then they will need a bit of extra help from their owner. As a preventative method, it is a good idea to sprinkle diatom powder in chickens dustbaths (or over area they usually use for dustbaths) as this will keep lice from being able to take hold. If there are lots of lice then use a lice powder to powder chicken all over working it into their feathers and skin 3-4 times a week for 3 weeks until chicken is lice free. In the mornings owners can also dust their chicken coop with powder although be careful to not make it too dusty as dust can cause respiratory problems. Lice are best controlled on caged chickens by spraying with pyrethroids, carbaryl, coumaphos or malathion. Birds on floor are more easily treated by scattering any of these dusts on litter. As louse eggs are not killed, so insecticide treatment should be repeated after 10 days interval.

Parasitic Lice, Pediculosis, Poultry Lice, Chicken Lice, Ectoparasite, Backyard Poultry, Parasite

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