Topic: Whats wrong with my hens (see Photos)

[kt.]

I did a thread called bare chicken bums a couple of weeks ago.  I now have photos of this.  I am getting rather concerned as it is now spreading to the neck and all over the body, not just the bums.

I have cleaned out the hen house again, sulphur candle, jeyes fluid. Nothing has worked.  Any ideas what it is and how they can be treated.

[KimT]

Did you call Libby in Retford who I pm'd you about?

It just has to be some kind of mite possibly an internal one.

[kt.]

Yes.  Thankyou.   Phoned her the other day.   I will have to phone her again for an email address to send her the photos.

[Isleworth]

Hi ktlawson,

Definatly sounds like mites... 

The mites cause discomfort to the birds so they pull their own feathers out to try and get rid of the mites. I would buy a mite powder and dust every bird, repeating again a week later for a few weeks. You would also need clean and dust the coop as well.


HTH,

Lawrence

[big J]

alright mate it looks like red mite when was the last time you sprayed your hen house out

[kt.]

alright mate it looks like red mite when was the last time you sprayed your hen house out

3 weeks ago; with a sulphur candle one day and jeyes fluid the next.  Jeyes again yesterday.

[aromatic]

 :-\ No chicken expert here but found this, which may be of help?? Hope you get your hens sorted out soon ktlawson ........

www.poultryclub.org/ACHandling.htm


                                               

[KimT]

Please keep us posted as to what happens. I have to say it looks awful.................poor things.

[GodfreyRob]

Some of my girls ended up like that last year - it was red mites that I found in the shed on and near the perches - they cluster in colonies and can cause all sorts of problems - kill on site!



It took them the best part of 6 months to grow back the feathers too.

[teresa]

this treatment is good
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEAPHAR-MITE-LICE-SPOT-ON-LARGE-PET-BIRD-PARROT-DOVES_W0QQitemZ130214270407QQihZ003QQcategoryZ3211QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
but you can get larger bottles of the ingrediant Ivermecin may be trail the net or vets.
the mites come out at night and feed (drink the blood) off the hens making them week.
The old farmers creasote is great for inside the hen house mites dont like it you can get sprays to do perches or where the hens roost and watch the B. come out of hidding.
feathers may not come back untill next moult but hens will be better and laying.

[big J]

when you spray the chicken coop you have to make sure you get in every were [little gaps in the wood everywere i really soak mine on a nice sunny day and also make a really weak  mix and dip your birds in hope this helps

[kt.]

I have not seen any mites at all as yet.   This evening I have emptied the entire chicken house to just an empty shed.   Nothing inside but a perch.  No straw, food or drink inside (plenty outside though as I do not shut the bob hole at night).  All the nest boxes and inner flooring have been ripped out to be burnt tomorrow evening.  Brushed all straw and bedding out to be burnt too.  I have then sprayed Jeyes fluid into every nook and crannie in the shed and along windows, corners, entrances, joists. 

Tomorrow I will go with 40 litres of water to mix with Jeyes to hand scrub the inside of the henhouse and repeat this again the following day.  The hens will be treated the third day.  I have bought a lice and mite powder for use on poultry and most other farm animals (£7.50 for 300g, x2).  I will put it inside a pillowcase then hold the hen in the pillowcase with its head outside, to flap its wings and spread the powder all over itself.  Each hen will be treated daily for 3 days.  A week later all hens will be dipped as a final treatment. 

I have bought some wood chippings treated with a disinfectant.  Hens will be getting cleaned out more often, with Jeyes fluid being sprayed weekly in all corners, cracks and crevices in the shed.  The new nest boxes are a plastic type fibre glass box that can be washed down and never rot.       Fingers crossed. :-\

[teresa]

This may be of interest,
http://www.thepoultrygarden.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3802

I know garlic is good for the hens never heard it rubbed onto the purches.
Red mite attacks hens in the cleanest of henhouses I have heard people using a blow torch to scorch the inside wood of henhouses to rid them.
If you lift the perch and check under or on the ledge you will see them hiding using a spoon squash them you will see the blood.
 

[kt.]

Scrubbed the hen house with Jeyes fluid.  Broke the bash-broom in the process.  Just been down to the henhouse at 2200hr tonight. Shined the torch in every nook & crannie.   Did not see anything except the odd woodlouse.  Nothing else crawling anywhere.   Hens look clean too,  didn't see anything on them. 

[jonny211]

I hope you get the crawly little b@@tards KT. The picture of the mites above made me itch, so I really feel for you and your chooks.

Jon

[kt.]

I have also been to the henhouse this past few nights in the dark. Nothing crawling when I put the torch on.  Tonight I sprayed again with Jeyes in all nooks and crevices.  That's 3 days of spraying, 1 of scrubbing and one of dipping hens in lice / mite powder. 

I also put disinfectant & treated wood chippings on the floor and put the new nest boxes in.  Nothing else left to do now so its just a waiting game. 

[peasmad]

 The poor hens are more than likely suffering from a few things. Mites may have been the initial problem, but it doesn't take very long to get into a habit of feather plucking. That's on themselves and each other. The treatment you are using will hopefully solve the problem, I had something similar in my flock. It started with the cockerel choosing one or two over the others, this resulted in  balding their backs, but i noticed it continued with feather pecking. I cured it, by liberally covering any bald area with a mixture of vaseline, in which i stirred a couple of drops of tea tree oil and citronella. Garlic fed to the hens in very small doses will change the taste of blood to marauding invaders, (but will also taint the eggs if too strong) But to scour the insides, i also feed mine ground pumpkin seeds once or twice a month, followed the next day with liquidised carrot. I also give them cider vinegar in their water daily. They have never looked so good, all fluffy, bright eyed and laying well. And that's the old gals. 3-4 yr olds. Good luck.

[kt.]

Why cider vinegar?  At what percentage ratio?

[teresa]

This gives a inside info of the life cycle of the darn things.

http://www.kt.iger.bbsrc.ac.uk/FACT%20sheet%20PDF%20files/kt33.pdf

[peasmad]

Why cider vinegar?  At what percentage ratio?

About 15ml - 25ml per litre of water, It has antibacterial and antibiotic properties. It helps to ward off all sorts of ailments that chooks are prone to. it's just a bottle of feel good.