what's wrong with my chickens?

Have you thought about a natural remedy? I feed my chickens food grade diatomaceous earth from Fresh Water Organics it will rid your chickens of worms and parasites naturally. You can later dust your coop and pen with it. I feed it to my dogs and I take a teaspoon in warm water everyday myself.


http://www.freshwaterorganics.com/

I am sorry but the post on DE being effective on an active case of worms is not only unsubstantiated but in several studies on it (taking internally) has been found untrue. Read the discussion here:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=442
Keeping things dry and clean is the first thing you need to do ... whatever treatment you decide on will be ineffective if reinfestation occurs from dirty/damp housing.

I have had great success using D.E. I did not read anything from any of the post showing that it was ineffective or unsubstantiated. I have also used apple cider vinegar, bentonite clay with successful results. I have used these on my chickens, dogs and myself and have seen tremendous results. If you choose to use chemicals to cure your chickens more power to you. I would not be eating them that is the problem with most of the animals in the food chain today, vaccinations, steroids and chemicals they ingest. I do agree with cleanliness though. These are affordable and natural cures I avoid chemicals at all cost we as people ingest to many chemicals why are there so many unhealthy people today watch the commercials advertising the latest drugs do not believe everything the pharmaceutical companies tell you.

There are many worm and parasite natural remedies that will kill them in difference stages. That is of the utmost importants, one parasite formula I use is in tincture form, it contains the green hulls of black walnuts, wormwood, cloves and quassia these herbs attack all stages of parasites, I have used this on myself and my dogs, these remedies have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. Animals and birds have relied on bentonite clay or (mud) for thousands of years to remove poisons from their systems. Modern medicine or should I say pharmaceutical companies are still in the experimental stage with some very negative side affects. I have traveled Asia and other countries and realize nobody is immune to them humans and animals even here in the U.S. the main thing is to keep them under control and keep them from polluting our blood and becoming toxic, which leads to illnesses. Parasites and worms are moon creatures, which detach from our bodies seven days before a full moon this is when they go into reproduction mode and this is the best time to start a cleansing. Remember if your animals have parasites and worms you do too. Once a month treatment with a rather harsh chemical in my opinion is not the way to treat an animal look for alternatives start from the beginning, do it on a regular basis (daily). I have personally felt the effects of parasites and have tried to keep them in check they are never going away but I manage them. If this is hogwash then be it I will continue to practice looking for healthy alternatives for my animals and myself.  Remember this parasites and worms utilize our food we intake and leave us what they dont or cannot consume then they defecate in the host body poisoning the blood supply which then leads to illnesses and diseases.

Msshepherdess, I really think that some basic hygiene in your coop could go a long way to helping your bird's health. I do not understand why you cannot clean them out, for one thing. If 'everything is frozen' then I assume that includes the water. Depriving a bird of water is seriously bad for it's health.

Have you spotted one (or more) of the hens pecking feathers out from the other's backs? This could be a sign of boredom.

Yes, please do worm them and dust them, they sound like they desperately need it, and it doesn't matter that you can't see them, some of them are absolutely minute.