DePluming Mites

[Farmgirl805]

I’ve had months of problems with my chickens, feather loss, over-preening, anemic, decreased egg production…. The whole nine yards. I knew that something was happening, likely mites or lice, we’ve tried *just about* everything with ZERO results. My blue Cochin looks terrible, she has looked like that for a long while now but she was at the bottom of the pecking order (before the littles were integrated in about 4 wks ago) and so I just kept watching. She was still laying, but she’s very pale in the wattles. My Dark Brahma looks terrible too, but she’s 9 yrs old so I thought it *could be* just age.
Anyway- long story short- yesterday my Speckled Sussex was limping a bit, so I put her in an epsom salt bath, suspecting maybe bumble foot. Nope. But I did find her entire belly completely bare. I was shocked. I’m out here with them literally mostly the entire day, and I had no idea she was bald. Then, today my Blue Cochin girl was looking so bad that I picked her up and out of frustration I flipped her around and started searching thru all that fluff AGAIN and I see this weird, light yellow liquid. Looks kind of like the color of urine. But not urine. And it was well below the vent, even if it had come from the vent (it didn’t), what was this liquid?
Well I found out. It’s tiny blisters on the skin from the mites and that’s what they feed on. That’s why we never saw a single mite.

https://poultrykeeper.com/external-problems/depluming-mites/

My next question is, the only ivermectin I could find (30 mins before feed store closes) is Sheep Drench instead of Cattle pour-over. Is it the same? I’ve read in other posts that I can do 6 drops to the neck for a larger bird and 4 drops for bantam size/ polish? Can someone confirm?

 

[Farmgirl805]

@Wyorp Rock @Overo Mare

 

[Wyorp Rock]

First photo looks like possible scabs or stuck on debris. I'd try to see if that can be wiped or washed off.
On the SS, the skin looks smooth with no irritation. It's not uncommon for laying hens to have be a bit bare underneath, especially in warm weather. They may pluck out some of the feathers, feathers get rubbed off during roosting and getting into/out of nesting boxes.

Loss on the back of the head is usually from being plucked and/or mounted by another hen or rooster.

I've never used Sheep Drench, so am not able to provide use recommendations for it. You may be able to find info by doing an onsite search here on BYC.

 

[Farmgirl805]

First photo looks like possible scabs or stuck on debris. I'd try to see if that can be wiped or washed off.
On the SS, the skin looks smooth with no irritation. It's not uncommon for laying hens to have be a bit bare underneath, especially in warm weather. They may pluck out some of the feathers, feathers get rubbed off during roosting and getting into/out of nesting boxes.

Loss on the back of the head is usually from being plucked and/or mounted by another hen or rooster.

I've never used Sheep Drench, so am not able to provide use recommendations for it. You may be able to find info by doing an onsite search here on BYC.

Thank you!

 

[Ponypoor]

What is the amount of ivermectin per ml? I know it says 0.08% but I would need to know how many mg/ml then I can tell you a dose. A drench is given orally BYW. This isn’t a topical med and cannot be used as such, it wo t be absorbed into the skin.

The typical dose for ivermectin is 0.04ml/kg of bird weight (based on ivermectin 5mg/ml).

Here is a good article:
https://bitchinchickens.com/2019/04/29/ivermectin-for-parasite-control/

I went and bought a horse wormer tube of liquid ivermectin - it was 10mg/ml strength. See if you can find something like that.
You will need an insulin syringe with those timely dose markings, I suggest a 1/2ml syringe - any pharmacy should carry them.
Don’t get the luer lock tip get a regular smooth tip.

Good luck!