Looking for suggestions

[Kaleen Morris]

Hello Thank you for adding me to the group. I have 16 backyard hens and 1 possibly 2 Rooster. I say "Possibly" as last spring we decided to let one of our hens, "Momma Mia" sit on her eggss, 16 eggs in all and 1 hatched. "Baby Nugget" We were hoping it was a rooster and just as we gave in to that idea Baby Nugget Starting Crowing but he doesn't have any spurs...yet? More on that land photos later. In the meantime. Here in Michigan we are experiencing extremely cold weather. The Chickens have their choice between two different coops the big coop which was built for them or the smaller kit coop we originally got for Nugget and Momma Mia. (Now to my problem and question) One of my hens "Jody Jane" has some vent issues. She had poop stuck in her feather and her vent was very irritated, Pink and had white secretion coming out. I have had a vent issue before with a different hen and had the great success treating and her so I used the same approach with Jody Jane, which meant bringing her inside to do a warm soapy bath on her vent, cleaning her off and applying cortisone cream on the outside of the vent as well as inserting in the inside. Already she is looking better and she's eating and drinking like she's never had food or water before. She is missing alot of back feathers and has always looked ugly and had a lack of feather or had broken feathers in her back and head area. I assumed was being pecked on but not sure if that is true or if she's been molting. If its molting it has been going on for almost a year. I called a local farm store before treating her vent and he suggested that I bring her inside or put her in the garage. The garage seemed much closer to the temperature outdoors that she's used to however I was concerned with a wet vent and no other birds to huddle with for body heat she would die out there, so inside she came. She's in a dog cage filled with bedding and had her own food and water and I even (I can't believe I'm saying this) made a Chicken Diaper out of plastic bag so she could as least walk around and stretch out in the basement. I don't want a chicken in the house and I don't want to leave confined to a dog cage but I'm worried that if I put her back out she will die form the cold. How long is too long to keep her inside? It is already too late to take her back out? I think her vent is well enough now to go back and rejoin the others. I would prefer to give her another 3 days or so but today is the only day the Temps will be above freezing and if I'm going to do it today might be the day, unless of course she is already accustomed to the warmer heat of the basement. Please help with any suggestions or advice. Also is there anything else to use for her vent? I don't understand why I got 2 hens with vent issues. I have very clean coops, they get really good feed from the Tractor Supply, I use Cider Vinegar in their water, Meal worms for Treats. Fresh water and use a heater for their water in winter. Sorry- Back to Jody Jane's living situation . Should I taker her back out to the others? Should I take her out and segregate her from the others? Should I leave her inside in a dog cage? Should I leave her inside and get something bigger or her to live in? or ? Open to suggestions. I appreciate any advice from anyone with experience I can get. Thank you Kaleen

 

[staceyj]

Hi there.

If you’re going to put a bird back outside after several days indoors, in the weather you’ve been having, I’d do
it incrementally. So not all at once.

But I’m actually answering your post because of something else.

She has scaly leg mites.
You’re going to have to treat her for that. They are tiny parasites that get up under the scales of the feet and legs and feed off of the chicken’s blood.

Also that then makes me suspicious of the rest of her “feather condition”.

Feather loss on the saddle area can be an indication that she’s just .... the roosters favorite girl....
or it can be an indication of lice or mites on her body.

Have you checked her carefully all over for evidence of lice or mites?

*Scaly leg mites are different than “regular” mites Btw.

 

[azygous]

Have you noticed her right shank? She has a bad case of leg mites. She may also have lice and mites around her vent. Take a close look.

Ivermectin "pour-on" can treat both conditions.

 

[Kaleen Morris]

Hi there.

If you’re going to put a bird back outside after several days indoors, in the weather you’ve been having, I’d do
it incrementally. So not all at once.

But I’m actually answering your post because of something else.

She has scaly leg mites.
You’re going to have to treat her for that. They are tiny parasites that get up under the scales of the feet and legs and feed off of the chicken’s blood.

Also that then makes me suspicious of the rest of her “feather condition”.

Feather loss on the saddle area can be an indication that she’s just .... the roosters favorite girl....
or it can be an indication of lice or mites on her body.

Have you checked her carefully all over for evidence of lice or mites?

*Scaly leg mites are different than “regular” mites Btw.

Omg I feel awful I guess I don't know how to look for mites, I did check her and didn't seen anything moving? I'm so glad I posted the photo. How do I treat "Scaly Mites" and Mites? Should I treat all the birds?

 

[Kaleen Morris]

Omg I feel Awful I checked her for mites but didn't see anything moving around. Clearly I don't know what to look for. Thank you so much for sharing. How do I treat "Scaly Mites"? Does she also have other "Mites" you mentioned their different. Does this mean all my birds have mites?

 

[Kaleen Morris]

Have you noticed her right shank? She has a bad case of leg mites. She may also have lice and mites around her vent. Take a close look.

Ivermectin "pour-on" can treat both conditions.

Thank you for your informative response. I have to admit I feel awful as I thought I was doing a great job with the chickens. I'm going to go today and get the" Ivermectin". Should I treat the entire flock? Do I treat her vent and shank differently?

 

[MissChick@dee]

Hiya
Nice to meet you!

From what I can see you have a few issues going on. Her feathers suggest parasites. She looks thin and in poor condition could be internal parasites too.
Have you wormed your birds?
If she has mites or live you’ll need to treat all your birds AND their coop after replacing all the bedding.
Worms and parasites will need follow up treatments to ensure you stop the life cycle. Eggs/pupa/adults laying eggs.
Mites feed at night and they can drain a chicken to the point of anemia.
Then you have the reintroduction process. Since she’s been away from the others you’ll need to slowly reintroduce her. This might help her acclimate to the temperature. You could wire off a pen within the pen. Or use a dog crate with a tarp or horse blanket over it. Taking her out for longer periods each day. Until you release her right at bedtime. See if she’ll go to roost for the night with the others. You’d need to watch the next morning for possible issues. You should watch until things go smoothly or perhaps more time in her pen/crate.
Now would probably be a good time to give each of your birds a complete exam. Head to toe right down to the skin. All vents and legs. Access what you’ve really got going on then form a plan of action and treatment. Best wishes

 

[staceyj]

Let’s get together some reading material for you before you freak out LOL
but the short answer to your question is, yes.

Yes you will have to treat your coop and all your birds.
Ugh.

Let’s get @azygous back in here because I’ve never used the pour over ivermectin and I’d like to hear how that educator would approach this dilemma, especially since your area is experiencing brutal cold weather over the next few days and I’m in a much warmer climate.

Brb.

 

[staceyj]

This is a great article about lice and mites and has really good photos:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[Kaleen Morris]

Hiya
Nice to meet you!

From what I can see you have a few issues going on. Her feathers suggest parasites. She looks thin and in poor condition could be internal parasites too.
Have you wormed your birds?
If she has mites or live you’ll need to treat all your birds AND their coop after replacing all the bedding.
Worms and parasites will need follow up treatments to ensure you stop the life cycle. Eggs/pupa/adults laying eggs.
Mites feed at night and they can drain a chicken to the point of anemia.
Then you have the reintroduction process. Since she’s been away from the others you’ll need to slowly reintroduce her. This might help her acclimate to the temperature. You could wire off a pen within the pen. Or use a dog crate with a tarp or horse blanket over it. Taking her out for longer periods each day. Until you release her right at bedtime. See if she’ll go to roost for the night with the others. You’d need to watch the next morning for possible issues. You should watch until things go smoothly or perhaps more time in her pen/crate.
Now would probably be a good time to give each of your birds a complete exam. Head to toe right down to the skin. All vents and legs. Access what you’ve really got going on then form a plan of action and treatment. Best wishes

Hiya
Nice to meet you! Thank you I will get busy reading and address this right away. My poor girls NO I have never wormed them. How soon after treating all the birds for parasites should I change the bedding? Do I have to do anything besides just remove the old bedding and replace it? When you say Parasites does that include mites?

From what I can see you have a few issues going on. Her feathers suggest parasites. She looks thin and in poor condition could be internal parasites too.
Have you wormed your birds?
If she has mites or live you’ll need to treat all your birds AND their coop after replacing all the bedding.
Worms and parasites will need follow up treatments to ensure you stop the life cycle. Eggs/pupa/adults laying eggs.
Mites feed at night and they can drain a chicken to the point of anemia.
Then you have the reintroduction process. Since she’s been away from the others you’ll need to slowly reintroduce her. This might help her acclimate to the temperature. You could wire off a pen within the pen. Or use a dog crate with a tarp or horse blanket over it. Taking her out for longer periods each day. Until you release her right at bedtime. See if she’ll go to roost for the night with the others. You’d need to watch the next morning for possible issues. You should watch until things go smoothly or perhaps more time in her pen/crate.
Now would probably be a good time to give each of your birds a complete exam. Head to toe right down to the skin. All vents and legs. Access what you’ve really got going on then form a plan of action and treatment. Best wishes

This is a great article about lice and mites and has really good photos:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/