Accepting what might be and pushing forward.....need advice on multiple concerns.

[Chopper923]

We currently have 4 coops: 1 with 31 8-week-old Leghorns, 1 with 14- week-old lavenders, and 2 with a mix of 7 month - adults, including 4 roosters. We have been dealing with what might be marek's. I have yet to have that verified through lab testing, but many helpful people on this site have highly suspected that's what it might be. The last time i post about our troubles, we had lost 3 over a short span.

I have really tried to figure out how to go about my newest delimas, but, once again, i am overwhelmed and confused on what i am dealing with.

Here's my new concerns: One of my adult laveners was attacked by my dog last week. No outter physical injuries, surprisingly. She seemed to recover rather quickly with how traumatic ot must have been. We have kept a good eye on jer since then. Over the next couple of days, it seemed like she was getting targeted by the roosters. (We are in the process of separating them from the hens, and should be complete today!) We removed her and a few of our younger, gentle hens and placed them in a new area during the day as we built our new coop. Each evening, we would bring this group back to the original coop so that they could roost with everyone. Twice, i found her hiding in the morning before i could move her to the new area. The past 3 days, it seems she has taken a downward spiral. She seems to not want to scratch around like normal; she started shaking her head often 2 days ago; her feathers look rough; twice yesterday, i saw clear liquid come from her mouth. Last night, after giving her some gentle rubs around her neck, i found a tiny, cream colored bug on my arm. I tried looking closely at her skin under her wings, along her neck, her vent area. I have googled mites and lice and treatments, and am so confused all of the information out there. Here, too...so many different opinions.

Last night we finished the new coop, and this small group got to stay in it. She is still very quiet, but i have gotten her to eat out of my hand, and I've seen her drinking.

I know that stress can cause mareks to show it's ugly self, and if that's what I'm dealing with, does it cause her to get infested with bugs before others show any symptoms? I do understand i need to treat everybody and all coops, but again, I'm very confused on what to treat with.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I tend to see that happen to my hens when the roosters are a bit much or I haven't taken off the outer shell of their spurs. It what happens when the roosters spurs or feet hit the elbow on their wing and rip out some of her feathers as a result. It can be a weak spot for mites but I tend to separate hens with that and watch them a ton untill the feathers come back and I put them back in the flock.

 

[Chopper923]

I just got done soaking her in an epsom salt bath. I don’t know her egg-laying pattern due to acquiring 10 adults from a relative and still not recognizing who's doing what. I know for a fact that she has not laid an egg in yhe past 4 days. I watched a video, and it showed a hen's backend pulsing when she's trying to expell an egg, and i definitely saw that with Nova, so i am going to lube her up, and i will pray for some relief for this girl. Also, while bathing her, i was able to look closer at her skin - there are definitely tiny little reddish brownish cream colored bugs crawling on her...mostly around her neck. Any idea on which mite or lice she has and how to treat?

 

[Chopper923]

Nova is declining. Last night i gave her another epsom bath, and she soaked for about 15-20 minutes. I also felt inside of her (about 2"?), but i could not feel an egg. This morning her backend is still contracting, which from what I've read is a sign of being egg bound. I've also read that stress, mites/lice, illness can cause a hen to stop laying. I am at a loss, and i might have my husband put her down today to end her suffering.

 

[TropicalChickies]

I just got done soaking her in an epsom salt bath. I don’t know her egg-laying pattern due to acquiring 10 adults from a relative and still not recognizing who's doing what. I know for a fact that she has not laid an egg in yhe past 4 days. I watched a video, and it showed a hen's backend pulsing when she's trying to expell an egg, and i definitely saw that with Nova, so i am going to lube her up, and i will pray for some relief for this girl. Also, while bathing her, i was able to look closer at her skin - there are definitely tiny little reddish brownish cream colored bugs crawling on her...mostly around her neck. Any idea on which mite or lice she has and how to treat?

External parasites like lice and mites are a huge source of stress and could possibly be causing these other problems. Parasites are not just a nuisance for a chicken, they literally can drain the life right out of them. Instead of worrying about Marek's, I would treat what I see right in front of my eyes, and sooner than later.

I've had some very poor and sick looking chickens, who bounced back very quickly once I discovered they had an external parasite and took action quickly.

Lice and mites generally respond to the same treatments, you don't need to know exactly which one your poor bird has. It sounds like she could have both.

@TwoCrows gives some of the best advice on this forum from long experience and wrote an excellent article on the topic. I highly recommend reading and following it. Best of luck.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-fleas-dealing-with-external-parasites.74599/

 

[Chopper923]

@Wyorp Rock , @TwoCrows
@azygous ,
@Eggcessive

External parasites like lice and mites are a huge source of stress and could possibly be causing these other problems. Parasites are not just a nuisance for a chicken, they literally can drain the life right out of them. Instead of worrying about Marek's, I would treat what I see right in front of my eyes, and sooner than later.

I've had some very poor and sick looking chickens, who bounced back very quickly once I discovered they had an external parasite and took action quickly.

Lice and mites generally respond to the same treatments, you don't need to know exactly which one your poor bird has. It sounds like she could have both.

@TwoCrows gives some of the best advice on this forum from long experience and wrote an excellent article on the topic. I highly recommend reading and following it. Best of luck.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...-fleas-dealing-with-external-parasites.74599/

Thank you so much for your response! I will read the article, and i appreciate you for swnding it to me. I did start treatment last night. It must have helped because she doesn't seem to be shaking her head today.Do you know anything about eggbinding? I have read multiple articles on here (great one by @TwoCrows) on symptoms and treatment of egg binding. I watched multiple videos. I followed the procedures mentioned, to no avail. Then reading that there are many reasons a hen will stop laying, i went to bed feeling a bit of relief...until i saw that she is still contracting this morning.

 

[TropicalChickies]

She seems to not want to scratch around like normal; she started shaking her head often 2 days ago; her feathers look rough; twice yesterday, i saw clear liquid come from her mouth.

The liquid coming from her mouth is a sign of sour crop. Her digestive system is slowing down because of these other problems. This is also treatable but needs to be dealt with right away.

I understand the internet can be a confusing place to find information. But when it comes to chickens, the best we can do is treat the obvious and common symptoms instead of looking for a more rare disease. Most of their problems actually have fairly simple solutions.

Try treating her for the parasites and sour crop first. And keep an eye on your other birds. If one chicken has parasites, often many of them do. The TwoCrows article explains exactly what to do.

And here is an excellent resource on sour crop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[TropicalChickies]

@Wyorp Rock , @TwoCrows
@azygous ,
@Eggcessive

Thank you so much for your response! I will read the article, and i appreciate you for swnding it to me. I did start treatment last night. It must have helped because she doesn't seem to be shaking her head today.Do you know anything about eggbinding? I have read multiple articles on here (great one by @TwoCrows) on symptoms and treatment of egg binding. I watched multiple videos. I followed the procedures mentioned, to no avail. Then reading that there are many reasons a hen will stop laying, i went to bed feeling a bit of relief...until i saw that she is still contracting this morning.

Read the second response I just posted on sour crop. A digestive backup can also cause other problems from pressure on the organs. A hens reproductive system shares a very small space with her digestive system. A problem in one can cause problems in the other.

She could have one of many underlying causes. But treat the visible symptoms you've identified first -- the parasites and crop -- and see what happens.

Epsom salt baths can't hurt, if she enjoys it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Chopper923]

Thank you!!!

 

[TropicalChickies]

Read the second response I just posted on sour crop. A digestive backup can also cause other problems from pressure on the organs. A hens reproductive system shares a very small space with her digestive system. A problem in one can cause problems in the other.

She could have one of many underlying causes. But treat the visible symptoms you've identified first -- the parasites and crop -- and see what happens.

Epsom salt baths can't hurt, if she enjoys it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

And be sure to check the area on the right side of her breast first thing in the morning every morning as you are treating her. If it's mushy and swollen, that's likely sour crop. If there's a smell of vinegar or something yeasty like sourdough bread, that's also a giveaway, as is the liquid coming out of her beak you described. If you can be reasonably certain she has a sour crop and follow the instructions in the article.