- Jan 18, 2013
- 29
- 2
- 24
Hi All,
After reading past threads I realise my hen has been a victim of fly strike.
She is one of my very first hens now about 6 years old. She had seemed to be struggling in the recent heat over the past week and I thought for sure she was on her way out due to age. I more than half expected her to be dead before the weekend was out. But by Monday she seemed to be happier, her tail was up her comb a nice red again and pecking around albeit lethargically. I had noticed her bum was a bit yucky but nothing to bad that I felt it did not need cleaning. Big fat black Australorpe feathers cover many evils it seems. This evening as my daughter was locking the hens up she noticed the maggots crawling around her backside and the alarm bells went off. Straight into the bath went Xena. Fortunately my bath tub is set up permanently to wash my dogs so a shower nozzle on a hose was there ready to wash her backside with warm water. At first I could not see anything expecting them to wash away easily but nothing was obvious. Finished washing and sent her out with said daughter for a towel dry before bed. Again I am called again to witness the maggots. The little buggers must have crawled into the hole as I started rinsing. Back to the bath we go for a more thorough inspection and detailed rinsing. Upon further investigation I discovered that what I was rinsing was not her vent looking suspect, it was a gaping hole below her vent. (Not sure whats worse, this or if it had have been her vent looking like this). I think after spending quite a bit of time literally hosing out the hole we may have got all the maggots but I will be soaking her in a warm water solution of lavender and Hydrogen peroxide tomorrow to be sure. She does not seem to be in any pain and seemed not at all fazed by the whole process. She is sleeping in my bathroom now and I will keep you up to date on her progress. Any hint or tips on the best way to deal with the wound would be appreciated. I have coated it with aloe with a drop of lavender oil for the evening.
After reading past threads I realise my hen has been a victim of fly strike.
She is one of my very first hens now about 6 years old. She had seemed to be struggling in the recent heat over the past week and I thought for sure she was on her way out due to age. I more than half expected her to be dead before the weekend was out. But by Monday she seemed to be happier, her tail was up her comb a nice red again and pecking around albeit lethargically. I had noticed her bum was a bit yucky but nothing to bad that I felt it did not need cleaning. Big fat black Australorpe feathers cover many evils it seems. This evening as my daughter was locking the hens up she noticed the maggots crawling around her backside and the alarm bells went off. Straight into the bath went Xena. Fortunately my bath tub is set up permanently to wash my dogs so a shower nozzle on a hose was there ready to wash her backside with warm water. At first I could not see anything expecting them to wash away easily but nothing was obvious. Finished washing and sent her out with said daughter for a towel dry before bed. Again I am called again to witness the maggots. The little buggers must have crawled into the hole as I started rinsing. Back to the bath we go for a more thorough inspection and detailed rinsing. Upon further investigation I discovered that what I was rinsing was not her vent looking suspect, it was a gaping hole below her vent. (Not sure whats worse, this or if it had have been her vent looking like this). I think after spending quite a bit of time literally hosing out the hole we may have got all the maggots but I will be soaking her in a warm water solution of lavender and Hydrogen peroxide tomorrow to be sure. She does not seem to be in any pain and seemed not at all fazed by the whole process. She is sleeping in my bathroom now and I will keep you up to date on her progress. Any hint or tips on the best way to deal with the wound would be appreciated. I have coated it with aloe with a drop of lavender oil for the evening.
