adult hens stopped roosting inside coop

[Gosanke]

Hello:

my 13 months old hens have been sleeping inside the coop many months but last few days, all of them slept outside on the ground. They hurdled up together in one corner of the fence. I moved them inside the coop and they try get out. I checked inside the coop and did not see anything abnormal. the coop is cleaned out weekly. Any idea?

thanks!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hello:

my 13 months old hens have been sleeping inside the coop many months but last few days, all of them slept outside on the ground. They hurdled up together in one corner of the fence. I moved them inside the coop and they try get out. I checked inside the coop and did not see anything abnormal. the coop is cleaned out weekly. Any idea?

thanks!

Is it possible its to hot at night---not vented enough??

 

[aart]

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Google images of lice/mites and their eggs before the inspection so you'll know what you're looking for.

If you do find some...check out this thread:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1134783/permethrin-spray

 

[Gosanke]

i already took the coop apart and will build a new one. they have been sleeping in a temp cage until I finish up the new coop.

 

[Gosanke]

That was my first thought too but I sticked my arm inside and did not feel the warm air at all. The coop has ventilation too. I am not sure if the pine shaves contaminated but it's the same bag I have been using. I put a thin layer of small pine shaves so the poops can be removed easily without sticking to the coop floor.

I am thinking keep them outside tonight but raccoons problem. raccoons killed my next door neighbor's flock last year because they didn't close the coop door. too careless.

 

[PD-Riverman]

That was my first thought too but I sticked my arm inside and did not feel the warm air at all. The coop has ventilation too. I am not sure if the pine shaves contaminated but it's the same bag I have been using. I put a thin layer of small pine shaves so the poops can be removed easily without sticking to the coop floor.

I am thinking keep them outside tonight but raccoons problem. raccoons killed my next door neighbor's flock last year because they didn't close the coop door. too careless.

If its not to hot---I am not sure how "accurate" sticking your arm in is-----But I am the boss with my chickens(LOL) they sleep where I say---not where they want.

As far as the pine shavings---that should not be a problem, open the door during the day and let them air out---then in the future if you want you can dump/spread out what you need on something in the yard, in the sun to air out some before putting it in the coop.

 

[Gosanke]

i took the coop apart and noticed it was infested with very tiny little mites or insects or whatever that was. they are very tiny and I didn't see them until I took the coop apart. the chickens go infested with the bugs.

any idea on how to treat the hens?

their nest are not integrated with the coop so they are not impacted or at least I didn't see any but I replace the nests too.

 

[NotSoChickenLove]

i took the coop apart and noticed it was infested with very tiny little mites or insects or whatever that was. they are very tiny and I didn't see them until I took the coop apart. the chickens go infested with the bugs.

any idea on how to treat the hens?

their nest are not integrated with the coop so they are not impacted or at least I didn't see any but I replace the nests too.

You sound like you have mites. My hens had lice when I got them. The vet said to give them the same droppers that you would use on cats for fleas, and that worked perfectly. I used half a vial of Advocate per chicken. You'll have to treat your coop for the mites as well, though. I hear they're very hard to get rid of, but that seems to be from people faffing about with DE earth and apple cider vinegar. Just get some appropriate spray and nuke the bastards.

Edit to add that I treated the chickens at night when they were sleeping, just part the feathers on their neck and drop right on the skin. Just got a few wriggles and annoyed chicken mumbles.

 

[aart]

You sound like you have mites. My hens had lice when I got them. The vet said to give them the same droppers that you would use on cats for fleas, and that worked perfectly. I used half a vial of Advocate per chicken. You'll have to treat your coop for the mites as well, though. I hear they're very hard to get rid of, but that seems to be from people faffing about with DE earth and apple cider vinegar. Just get some appropriate spray and nuke the bastards.

Edit to add that I treated the chickens at night when they were sleeping, just part the feathers on their neck and drop right on the skin. Just got a few wriggles and annoyed chicken mumbles.

Do you know the chemical name and if there was any withdrawal for meat and/or eggs?

 

[NotSoChickenLove]

Do you know the chemical name and if there was any withdrawal for meat and/or eggs?

It's one of the 'ectins. You can probably look it up online - Advocate for cats. The vet said there was no egg with-holding period because it does not enter the body system, just stays in the skin. But it's not actually rated for chickens, simply because they haven't done the formal studies on it. There's not enough call for chicken treatment for it to be worth it for them. The vet also said that a cheaper option would be cydectin or ivermectin, which is cattle drench here, and just a drop of it per chicken. Now I've got a little dropper bottle of it from a farmer I know, but I haven't had parasite issues since. It really was brilliant, no ill effects that I could see and the lice were entirely gone overnight with just one treatment.

Edit to add that I have a friend with 6 chickens that had a dreadful case of red mite - terrible looking hens and no eggs for ages. He used the dropper as well to treat the hens, then sprayed his coop with an insecticide - the chickens were in the family tent in the backyard at night until the insecticide had had a chance to work and he'd hosed the coop down after a few times. No more mites. Took less than a week. All this messing about people try and do really only extends the suffering of the animals. Just get rid, and if you can't or don't want to eat your eggs for a few week OH WELL.