Buffalo Gnats Killing Chickens?

[CBormann]

Recently i have been told that my chickens had fowl pox but i now think it might be all the gnats that are killing my chickens. has anyone ever heard of this or know how to solve this? ive already lost 20 chickens please help me!

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

I am so sorry.

I am out daily spritzing my birds with vanilla mixed with water. I also hang dryer sheets on all the windows or wire, and I spray those down as well.

They are crazy here, too.

 

[harewizard]

Why do you suspect gnats are killing your chicks? How would a gnat go about this? Please give more details. How old? Eating? Drinking? Poo? Behavior? Etc...

Lisa

 

[harewizard]

I'm sorry.... I read your title and saw Buffalo Gnats. Those are like the Black flies we have here in Maryland. And they are awful!!!

How old are your chicks?

 

[CBormann]

maybe 3-4 months old tops.. i had these beautiful golden polish birds that i was going to show at fair this years and they are all dead.. and i had some rhode island reds and many of those are dead.. i lost about 20 birds in 24 hrs. at night they fine but today they looked fine then i would turn around and one would be dead and have little red sores all over its face

 

[Chickenaddict]

Here is a link to another thread about these same gnats
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=174452&p=2

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Even small gnats can kill chicks or full grown chickens. Some can bite, and when it large swarms can do quite a bit of hurting to a bird.

 

[CBormann]

ya i already found that and read it. thanks

 

[threehorses]

Wow I have to say i was doubtful, but I'm one to try to keep an open mind so I looked it up. This is what I found:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271436,00.html?sPage=fnc.science/naturalscience

Here in the south (probably elsewhere as well) this is a big time for pox as they're spread by mosquito vector. With our dry pox, we usually see a longer period before death if death at all. With that, I can usually tell by the little black scabs on the sores.

But I think you might be right about buffalo gnats. I'd contact your local extension for ideas on how to combat the issue.

 

[enochstown]

I live in Indiana & had the Gnats attack my 15 young chickens yeasterday, I tried dusting them w/the Seven Dust. That only helped temorarily, by evening they were all over them again, AND I had 2 chix wheezing & breathing hard. So I took the 2 wheezing chix inside w/high protein food & freash water. All the others I bathing them in a bucket of warm water with Avon's Skin So Soft then put the heat lamp on for the night. This mornong ALL are well!!!!

No gnats around... for now any way. All the chickens had red, bloody peck marks all over them last night. They seemed to like the bath even. I also sprinkled Skin So Soft around te coop. They really were doing bad last night until I bathed them.