Diversity of Chewing Lice in a Backyard Poultry Farm in Laladon Ciomas, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Abstract

A substantial number of households in Indonesia keep backyard flocks as an alternative to meeting household or village-level demand for animal protein. However, minimal biosecurity and management practices in these systems increase the risk of parasitic infestations, including chewing lice, which can adversely affect poultry health and productivity. This study was aimed to identify the diversity and assess the level of chewing lice infestation on various backyard poultry in a local farm in Bogor Regency, Indonesia. This study was conducted on 25 birds representing five poultry species namely chickens, turkeys, fantail pigeons, swan geese, and Muscovy ducks—at a backyard farm in Laladon Village, Ciomas Subdistrict, Bogor Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. Representative lice specimens were collected, and eight genera of chewing lice were identified: Menacanthus, Menopon, Colpocephalum, Holomenopon, Lipeurus, Anaticola, Columbicola, and Campanulotes. Fantail pigeons exhibited the highest infestation severity across all body regions, accompanied by feather damage. Chickens and turkeys shared several lice genera but differed markedly in infestation severity, due to contrasting housing systems. An unusual host association of Colpocephalum in swan geese was recorded, potentially reflecting incidental host transfer linked to mixed-species housing. Overall, the findings demonstrate that backyard poultry systems are highly vulnerable to ectoparasite infestations, emphasising the need for improved housing design, biosecurity, and routine ectoparasite control.