Anemic hen, currently treating for lice

[77horses]

Hi all, I have a 2 y/o silkie hen who began appearing lethargic a couple weeks ago, stopped laying, lost weight, etc. all the classic signs of anemia. After checking her over I saw a couple adult lice crawling on her (no eggs, not a huge infestation). So I’m assuming she has anemia due to lice. I checked her poop for worms- nothing. I began treating her and the 5 other members of the flock with permethrin powder last week, and just dusted her again today. Also dusted the coop (especially nest boxes) with the permethrin powder.

Today she doesn’t seem to have improved. Still lethargic.
She’s eating and drinking, following the flock around when free ranging (although lagging behind a bit). Still not laying.

I put ACV in their water last week for a few days, then switched it out and put nutridrench liquid in. I just put out another batch of fresh water with nutridrench in it. I’m hoping this will give her a boost of nutrients to help with the anemia.

Is there anything else I can do to help her recover? Anything I can feed her to boost her weight back up?

 

[Eggcessive]

Are you sure they are lice? Lice don’t cause anemia as mites do. They are more of a bother, but don’t suck blood. Lice are best treated with permethrin 0.5 % spray or garden dust from a feed store. Retreat in 10 days to get the newly hatched lice until they are gone. The bedding must be removed from nests and the coop, and everything including roosts, should be sprayed before putting in new bedding.

Does she lay eggs normally? Has she been molting recently? How does her crop feel—empty, full, hard, or puffy like a balloon? Check it again in early morning to see if it is emptying overnight. Worms or other parasites, reproductive disorders, and crop problems are common reasons for acting lethargic.

 

[77horses]

Are you sure they are lice? Lice don’t cause anemia as mites do. They are more of a bother, but don’t suck blood. Lice are best treated with permethrin 0.5 % spray or garden dust from a feed store. Retreat in 10 days to get the newly hatched lice until they are gone. The bedding must be removed from nests and the coop, and everything including roosts, should be sprayed before putting in new bedding.

Does she lay eggs normally? Has she been molting recently? How does her crop feel—empty, full, hard, or puffy like a balloon? Check it again in early morning to see if it is emptying overnight. Worms or other parasites, reproductive disorders, and crop problems are common reasons for acting lethargic.

I have to disagree with your statement about poultry lice not causing anemia. Yes, they mostly eat tiny pieces of dead skin and feathers on chickens, but they also consume blood and can most definitely cause anemia if left untreated.
The critters I saw crawling in her feathers were definitely lice. Brownish, oval, quick-moving, nasty little buggers. This is exactly what they looked like (not my photo):

I’ve had a mite infestation in the past (wood mites) so I know what those look like. It’s definitely not that.
Her crop doesn’t feel hard or bloated; it feels somewhat soft and malleable, like there’s some food in it, but it’s not totally full.
I checked her poop the other day and didn’t see any worms (although I know that doesn’t necessarily mean she doesn’t have them). She normally lays eggs pretty regularly, and only stopped around the same time she started acting lethargic. She’s not currently molting, but it’s getting close to that time of the year when she typically does.
Thanks for you help!

 

[MandS]

I have a been that's been going through some major issues at the moment. She was almost purple on Wednesday but it wasn't cyanosis, I thought it looked like anaemia.

My solution was to give her baby spinach leaves as they are rich in iron. It worked for her and colour returned. Sadly, it was not her only problem.

I don't know if others have used spinach leaves so others may not agree. Certainly I gave the baby ones as they would be easier to digest and less fibrous than the full size ones.

 

[Eggcessive]

Make sure that her crop is emptying overnight after she has been without food and water for 8 hours. Here is a good article about lice and mites:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

And another article which says that lice can piece the skin or feather shaft and feed on blood at times:
https://poultryhealthinspection.ucd...-files/treatment-of-lice-mites-of-poultry.pdf

 

[77horses]

I have a been that's been going through some major issues at the moment. She was almost purple on Wednesday but it wasn't cyanosis, I thought it looked like anaemia.

My solution was to give her baby spinach leaves as they are rich in iron. It worked for her and colour returned. Sadly, it was not her only problem.

I don't know if others have used spinach leaves so others may not agree. Certainly I gave the baby ones as they would be easier to digest and less fibrous than the full size ones.

I never would’ve thought about giving spinach for iron. It can’t hurt to try, I’ve given it to them in the past (usually during the winter months when they can’t free range or have access to wild fresh greens because of the snow). Thanks!

 

[77horses]

Make sure that her crop is emptying overnight after she has been without food and water for 8 hours. Here is a good article about lice and mites:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

And another article which says that lice can piece the skin or feather shaft and feed on blood at times:
https://poultryhealthinspection.ucd...-files/treatment-of-lice-mites-of-poultry.pdf

Thanks!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I would think that something else is at play if you have been treating with Permethrin.

Does she lay eggs, is her crop emptying?
Often a bird that is getting infested is not well to begin with.

 

[77horses]

I would think that something else is at play if you have been treating with Permethrin.

Does she lay eggs, is her crop emptying?
Often a bird that is getting infested is not well to begin with.

Yes she normally lays eggs. But she has not laid any since she started acting lethargic.
Her crop seems to be emptying. It was empty this morning before I let them out for the day.
I checked her over again just now- her vent looks normal, crop is full of food from this morning (feels normal), no discharge from eyes/nose/beak…nothing looks abnormal about her physical appearance other than the lethargy, slowness, and puffed feathers.
I also didn’t see anymore visible lice, lice eggs, or mites in her feathers. I made sure to check the areas they like to hide- under the wings, around the vent, belly- and saw none.
Her lethargy hasn’t improved or gotten worse.


Here’s a little more info about my flock’s living situation (if it helps offer any ideas/clues):
Their normal diet consists of hearty hen pellets from TSC (brand is Nutrena), cracked corn (tossed on the ground as a morning treat), treats from veggie/fruit scraps from the kitchen (often lettuce, chard, and tomatoes- not the green tomato parts though, I know those are toxic), occasionally cooked egg, canned (rinsed) corn as a treat, dried mealworms as a treat, and crushed oyster shells are offered. Keep in mind I don’t give them all those treats at once, I rotate through them and give them sparingly. Also, my flock is free ranged part-time so whatever bugs and such they eat around the yard. When they’re not free ranging, they’re kept in a 12x12’ covered run that attaches to the coop. They always have access to two different waterers- one inside the coop, one outside in the run- which I clean and change regularly. Occasionally I’ll add ACV to their water for a little boost, and sometimes I’ll add minced garlic to ward off worms. Their coop is also cleaned regularly and the bedding I use for them is pine shavings.

A couple other things that might be worth mentioning-
I live in New England so it’s starting to get cooler around here this time of year. Not drastically (only getting down to the low 40’s at night, high 60’s during the day). Also the daylight hours are getting shorter. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with the sudden lack of egg production.

None of my other birds are showing the same lethargic symptoms. I have two elderly hens who stopped laying a couple years ago (aka they’re going through “henopause” so no eggs from them is normal), but I have a young copper marans hen who would lay on and off (she’s about a year or so old) and has stopped completely around the same time as my lethargic silkie hen. The copper marans hen isn’t showing any external signs of illness though. I’m not sure if the change in seasonal temperature + daylight hours is affecting that.

 

[theoldchick]

The most common reason for an otherwise healthy hen who is anemic is internal parasites. This is easily diagnosed by a fecal floatation test performed at a vet. Other reasons for anemia is poor diet (not your case!), liver or kidney disease. Heavy metal poisoning (Lead) can also cause anemia-this is seen in pet parrots who like to chew on their cage. Certain types of cancer can also cause anemia. I personally had a hen who was anemic from eating a bolt. It was surgically removed and the hen treated for lead poisoning post op. She lived for several years.