Chicken horror- help!!

[Evie91]

Had ex battery hen since last October - since I've had her she's failed to thrive, other one looks fab. Her feathers have always been sparse with bald patches, she's thin but looks loads better then when I had her.

I did have a problem with mites last year but thought I got on top of it.

Anyway today she looked like she'd had the runs and pooped down her back end, so decided to bath her in hibi scrub as last resort (tried tonics, spice, mite powder etc)

Anyway she did have some mites but around her back end wasn't poop but kind of soft fungus looking thing around each feather, some slid off the feathers, others took the feather too when I pulled off!! What on earth is it?
Dried hen off and covered in sudocream (as a barrier - since realised everything is going to stick to it but she won't let me catch her again now!)
Going to disinfect the chicken house.
She's the only one effected, all of the others look fab, twice her size and glossy feathers....
All advice appreciated!

 

[Clodagh]

Lice? They leave a skanky glob like white mess on each feather. I find birds that are run down get them, healthy birds don't. You can give her a warm bath with insecticidal dog shampoo and try to get as much off as possible. Sudocrem might work as it does with leg mites, by suffocating them, so worth a try.

 

[Evie91]

Thank you - maybe the creatures I saw were lice, they weren't red blobs when I squashed them.
There is definitely something wrong with her; conformation wise her neck is not on straight! She seems happy enough in herself and is a friendly little soul, well was until I bathed her. Might do the same next weekend then to see if I can get on top of it, just in the middle of disenfecting and bleaching the coop!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Try worming her? Flubenvet - available from any agricultural outlet.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

scroll down to see picots of different parasites-it does sound like lice though. Johnsons do a great pump spray -Anti-mite Extra which is permethrin based (do not use on cats) that works a treat. About 4 pumps under each wing of all of them, weekly for 3 or so weeks should do it. I have one hen that seems prone to it-she has a lot of soft knicker feathers! Dirty vents can also mean worms too.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[Evie91]

Thank you - they are wormed regularly with flubenvent. She also did a couple of poo's when I picked her up. I examined them closey and couldn't see anything suspicious!
Will take a look at website, thank you

 

[Evie91]

Thanks for website link, it's lice!!

 

[Evie91]

Can I use cat flea, tick and lice treatment on chickens?
Can order some stuff but nothing in currently but always have dog and cat flea treatment in.
It's frontline.

 

[Evie91]

I've also decided my others (not the chicken in the orignal question!) may have scaly leg mite!
I'd assumed they had dry skin as I put so much dia... (Sp?) earth stuff in the coop to keep away any mites; it always dries my skin so assumed it was that.
How best to treat scaly legs?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

you can treat scaly leg using either sudocrem or benzyl benzoate. either run in the sudocrem thoroughly into each leg of every chicken you have, weekly for 4 weeks to dunk each leg for 60s into benzyl benzoate. scaly leg mite will persist in the environment for a month-you can water down the benzyl and spray coop and run with it. Alternatively, ask your vet for some ivermectin spot on-they'll give you an egg withdrawal period (usually a week) and you shouldn't eat the hens after doing this. Do one treatment fortnightly for 6 weeks. It can be very persistent and I went the ivermectin route in the end to get rid (I had 40 hens/cocks and didn't want to dip all those legs!). When they moult, they'll shed those scales and grow new ones.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Can I use cat flea, tick and lice treatment on chickens?
Can order some stuff but nothing in currently but always have dog and cat flea treatment in.
It's frontline.

you can I think but I don't know the dosage and I've not used it.

 

[JillA]

I like to keep a decent amount of diatomaceous earth in the bedding with mine, or any dust baths they make for themselves. The microscopic diatoms in it have sharp edges which puncture the exoskeletons of all types of external parasites but I find you have to have it in the right places, where the hens sit or bathe

 

[Evie91]

With the Earth - I rub it in to the walls, ceiling and floor of coop and all along the perch. I sprinkle in nest boxes and bath areas and wherever else I can think of!
I've bleached the coop and rinsed twice, just waiting for it to dry. Seen no evidence of mites.
I've put spice and wormer in the food, tonic in the water, given extra mealworms, seeds and veggies.
Plan on bathing affected chuck once a week until mites have gone. Going sudocreme legs later, just building up to do battle with the cockerel!!!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

or you could just creosote your coops once a year-blimey, I don't have time for all that lot! I have very few mite, no scaly leg or lice. a lot of these things come in on wild birds tbh.

try and get the sudocrem up between the scales-thats where the mites are and you are trying to suffocate them.

 

[Evie91]

I have loads of wild birds come in; think I'm effectively worming half the local bird population- look out for a boom in wild bird numbers near me!!

Think I'm also go to creosote next weekend- these chucks are most high maintenance out of all of my animals!
Thinking of dipping legs in hibiscrub solution before sudocreme, would that be worthwhile?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

no, hibiscrub is anti-bacterial, can't see it would do anything. Some people use vaseline or liquid paraffin instead of the sudocreme.

I know what you mean, the wild birds around here get breeders pellets from dec-may, wormed regularly, get micronised flakes in the winter as well as pellets-no wonder I have so many!

 

[Hepsibah]

Ivermectin is the best thing for getting rid of lice and scaley leg mite. I buy some which is marketed for pigeons: Harkers Harkamectin. A couple of drops on each leg, a drop under each wing, one or two on the neck, back and base of the tail and it will kill all parasites, internal and external apart from tapeworm. Well worth doing and pretty reliably effective too.

 

[Clodagh]

I find sudocrem works better or as well as ivermectin. Normally I would do both but having run out of ivermectin I just went down the sudocrem route, as MoC says I apply it weekly (after they have gone to bed at night and it is semi dark is a good idea). You just hold the chook in one hand and smear a gloop over each leg, right round the toes and up into the start of the feathers. If you do it at the first sign of raised scales you can stop it spreading, I only do affected birds.
Warning - you will get covered in the stuff!

 

[Clodagh]

Ivermectin is the best thing for getting rid of lice and scaley leg mite. I buy some which is marketed for pigeons: Harkers Harkamectin. A couple of drops on each leg, a drop under each wing, one or two on the neck, back and base of the tail and it will kill all parasites, internal and external apart from tapeworm. Well worth doing and pretty reliably effective too.

Just remember it is illegal to use or recommend to use non licensed products for the species. Not saying no one ever does but the more we put unmeasured and non prescription drugs into the environment the more we store up troubles for later with resistance and pollution.

 

[Evie91]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Think I've posted more about chickens than all the other animals I have combined!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Ivermectin is the best thing for getting rid of lice and scaley leg mite. I buy some which is marketed for pigeons: Harkers Harkamectin. A couple of drops on each leg, a drop under each wing, one or two on the neck, back and base of the tail and it will kill all parasites, internal and external apart from tapeworm. Well worth doing and pretty reliably effective too.

Ivermectin is a useful drug but not licences for poultry in the UK. Shouldn't be used unless prescribed by a vet or recommended over the internet.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Thanks for the advice everyone. Think I've posted more about chickens than all the other animals I have combined!

ducks are way easier. but poop more

 

[Hepsibah]

Ivermectin was prescribed by my vet for my hens. I just get it at a lower price buying the stuff marketed for pigeons.

 

[Clodagh]

Ivermectin was prescribed by my vet for my hens. I just get it at a lower price buying the stuff marketed for pigeons.

I'm sure you know this but do check it is the same strength.

 

[Evie91]

Been to vets, they no longer do 'farm animals' which includes chickens. Tried another route and was told ivermectin not licensed for hens so refused to sell it to me.
So back to the louse powder. Severely effected chicken had second bath today - mild hibiscrub solution in warm water, towelled then blow dried (as it was a bit cooler today). The. All chucks powdered and sudocremed legs! Like a chicken beauty parlour at my house this afternoon.
Although still evidence of lice (on the poor chuck) didn't see any live ones this time, so hopefully I will get on top of it soon!
Thanks for all of the advice given

 

[MotherOfChickens]

OP-not sure if this is of any help to you regarding chicken friendly vets. I fail to see why a SA vet can't help out with backyard flocks, its not rocket science.

http://www.chickenvet.co.uk