Lice are small insects whose feeding causes irritation and itching so that infested animals spend a good deal of time scratching in attempts to rid themselves of the pests. Several kinds of lice attack poultry, with the body louse (Menacanthus stramineus) being the most common. Other common bird lice include the shaft louse (Menopon gallinae), the fluff louse (Goniocotes gallinae), the wing louse (Lipeurus caponis) and the head louse (Cuclotogaster heterographus).

All lice on poultry are chewing lice, with mouthparts adapted for feeding on feathers and scales of the skin. They are permanent ectoparasites, spending their entire life on the bird. Injury is due to irritation or itching caused by the crawling lice and their gnawing at the feathers and skin. Birds become restless and do not feed or digest their food properly. The adult female lays its eggs on the animal, gluing them to the feathers. The eggs (nits) hatch in a few days and the young lice mature in about two weeks.

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