Lice have been found feeding on the skin and blood of free-range chickens, which are infected at much higher rates than caged flocks. This finding could have implications for states like California, where all egg production is cage-free.
Previously, lice were not known to be significant poultry pests. However, a new UC Riverside study published in the journal Parasites & Vectors shows for the first time that they are. “We didn’t expect to find skin lesions associated with chicken body lice, but we did. This has not, to my knowledge, been documented before,” said UCR entomologist and lead study author Amy Murillo. Read more