Dale River
In the Brooder
- Sep 9, 2020
- 28
- 15
- 31
Our sweet girl Lava Lilly (don't even ask...my kids named her) feels like she's been losing weight, has had a pale comb, & has been losing feathers under her vent and now on her belly and under her wings. She's an 8-month-old we got from our local farm store. No idea what her breed is, because she doesn't seem to match the size/feathering of the breeds we bought (Australorp, lavender Orpington, blue laced red Wyandotte, Americana, or Starlight Green Egger).
She is still eating--both the organic layer pellets we provide and free ranging in the yard. We are confident she hasn't been laying in several weeks. We don't see her larger light brown eggs, nor do we see her in the nesting boxes.
We brought her inside & washed her last week due to some poop stuck on the feathers below her vent. That's when I noticed the feathers missing from under the vent area & the accompanying bright red skin. I also pulled 2 reddish things off her comb that looked like possibly mites to me, though they were so small it was hard to tell. Because of that, the feather loss, the pale comb/wattles, & the decreased weight, I ordered spray for mites.
I did a complete clean out of the coop last week when I washed Lava Lilly, then again yesterday when our spray arrived. I sprayed every square inch of the coop with the spray. I also sprayed Lava Lilly as well as every other bird in our flock (12 total...the rooster was NOT happy). I have been adding fresh garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar to the water since last week. I will be spraying the birds & the coop as recommended for treatment. I cannot find any evidence of mites in the coop, but I will be heading out there tonight to check with a flashlight after dark.
I'm just wanting to know what else I need to be doing here. Does this sound like mites to you? Could it be something else I'm completely missing? I'm new to this since we got our flock as chicks in the Spring, but I've read everything I can find & want to learn whatever I need to to take good care of our girls (and the roo). If Lava Lilly does have mites, about how long from start of treatment can I expect to see improvements?
Pictures of Lava Lilly showing feather loss under wings, under vent, & on belly (The below-the-vent picture was a little dirty due to her just starting dust bathing when we caught her today.)
She is still eating--both the organic layer pellets we provide and free ranging in the yard. We are confident she hasn't been laying in several weeks. We don't see her larger light brown eggs, nor do we see her in the nesting boxes.
We brought her inside & washed her last week due to some poop stuck on the feathers below her vent. That's when I noticed the feathers missing from under the vent area & the accompanying bright red skin. I also pulled 2 reddish things off her comb that looked like possibly mites to me, though they were so small it was hard to tell. Because of that, the feather loss, the pale comb/wattles, & the decreased weight, I ordered spray for mites.
I did a complete clean out of the coop last week when I washed Lava Lilly, then again yesterday when our spray arrived. I sprayed every square inch of the coop with the spray. I also sprayed Lava Lilly as well as every other bird in our flock (12 total...the rooster was NOT happy). I have been adding fresh garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar to the water since last week. I will be spraying the birds & the coop as recommended for treatment. I cannot find any evidence of mites in the coop, but I will be heading out there tonight to check with a flashlight after dark.
I'm just wanting to know what else I need to be doing here. Does this sound like mites to you? Could it be something else I'm completely missing? I'm new to this since we got our flock as chicks in the Spring, but I've read everything I can find & want to learn whatever I need to to take good care of our girls (and the roo). If Lava Lilly does have mites, about how long from start of treatment can I expect to see improvements?
Pictures of Lava Lilly showing feather loss under wings, under vent, & on belly (The below-the-vent picture was a little dirty due to her just starting dust bathing when we caught her today.)
