Flystrike
Flystrike
Myiasis, fly blown
Myiasis, fly blown
What is it: Flystrike is when flies will lay eggs on a living chicken. They typically do this in the presence of soiled, poopy, and damp feathers, most frequently on the feathers under the vent where poop gets caked on. This can also happen in open wounds. The eggs hatch and the maggots begin to eat the chicken alive.
Causes:
- Lots of flies in the chicken coop
- Soiled, damp feathers
- Open wounds
Symptoms:
- Lethargy
- Isolation
- Wet feathers
- Presence of maggots and eggs on the chicken
- Bleeding
- Personally, when my hen had flystrike, I remember smelling hot trash.
Prognosis: Heavily depends on how severe it is. If caught before too much damage is done, the chicken can be saved. Once flystrike has been discovered, IMMEDIATE treatment is necessary. This is an emergency.
Treatment:
- Supplies
- Sink/container to soak chicken that is deep enough to submerge flystricken area
- Medical Gloves
- Tweezers
- Medicine syringe
- Topical antibiotic/ antibiotic flushes (Betadine, Veterycin, saline water, neosporin, etc)
- Hydrogen Peroxide, if needed
- Vitamins and electrolytes
- Steps
- Fill container with warm water, deep enough to submerge the flystrike
- Bath chicken in water, submerging the area to drown as many maggots as possible.
- Once it seems as many maggots as possible have drowned, remove chicken from water. If needed, secure chicken with a towel, with the help of another person, or whatever works. When I dealt with flystrike, my usually flighty, don’t-touch-me hen stood completely still on the step stool and allowed me to work on her with no restraint. I don’t know if that’s normal or not so that’s why I say “if needed”.
- If needed, cut feathers around the area for better visibility.
- With tweezers and gloved hands, manually pick off ALL maggots and eggs. Some may have burrowed deeper into the flesh where they can’t reach. If this is the case, flushing the holes where they have burrowed with hydrogen peroxide may make them come out so that they can be plucked off. Hydrogen Peroxide should not be overused because of its tendency to harm healthy skin. However, it can be used as an antiseptic if nothing else is available.
- Once all the maggots and the eggs have been removed, you may flush/spray the wound with a topical antibiotic.
- Dry the chicken by using a towel to sop up excess water, and a blow dryer on the lowest setting to get the bird completely dry.
- Apply a topical antibiotic on and in the wound.
- Keep the chicken separated, away from flies. Monitor chicken closely for more maggots that may have been missed. If some more maggots are found, repeat the manual plucking process. If there are a lot of maggots, repeating the whole process from step 1 may be needed.
- Flushing the wound 3 times a day may be done. Make sure to keep topical antibiotics on and in the wound, at least between flushings.
- Reintegrate chicken once the wound is fully healed.
- Give the chicken vitamins and electrolytes for the first couple days.
- Sources
Prevention:
- Keep flies down in the coop. I found sand bedding works well for that, as well as regular cleanings. Some essential oils, like citronella, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and peppermint, are said to be effective for that. ElectorPSP is also effective and can be sprayed directly on the chicken’s backside.
- Watch for open wounds
- Trim butt feathers to prevent poop buildup
- If possible or if deemed appropriate, bath the chicken to clean soiled feathers
- Make sure they have a way of dustbathing
Sources:
- I have no sources, other than the ones linked for treatment. I’ve dealt with flystrike before so all information is from me. My case was mild so I used sources for more severe cases under the treatments.
