Bald and red on her underside

[ten chicks]

Note: Vetericyn contains Hypochlorous Acid which is naturally produced in the body to fight infection. Body produces this antimicrobial solution called Hypochlorous acid to fight infection,which is released by the white blood cells to attack invading pathogens,Hypochlorous acid is a biocide,meaning it kills organic material instantly.

This is what is in Vetericyn and why product works so well. It is a safe and effective product used in the medical field.

 

[SavageDestiny]

Dogs are particularly sensitive to ivermectin. Just like cats are particularly sensitive to all permethrins (similar compound to that found in marigolds) but just a VERY tiny amount can kill a cat. These are another choice to combat these arachnid pests. I would avoid the permethrin dusts as they can cause respiratory issues with the chickens.

Different animals process different chemicals different ways. Some things are toxic and dangerous to some species, while completely safe for others. The danger to dogs is when an overdose is dispensed or when given to particularly sensitive breeds where the medication can cross the blood/brain barrier (shelties, collies, Australian shepherds and those types of herding dogs).
Applying two or three drops of ivermectin on the skin of each hen is much safer in my opinion than the dust alternatives. It would be very difficult to overdose a chicken with ivermectin, you would have to TRY to do so, which I know you yourself would never do.
The Ivermectin will also have a dual purpose, it will worm your chickens.

Do you take tylenol? (Acetaminophen in the US; Paracetamol in the UK) More people (both adults and children) overdose from a simple pain reliever every year than dogs that die of ivermectin overdose. In fact, the only way that is used by the veterinary profession (where I live) to treat heartworm disease, is to give the dog injections directly into the muscles along the spine of ivermectin. Many heartworm preventatives' active ingredient is a rather low dose of oral ivermectin. This is prescribed monthly by veterinarians. (I have a different belief on the matter, as I don't believe I should be putting that much junk in my dogs on such a short interval, but I'm not a vet and take my own risks with that, having the information available to me that I have.)

Could you try to give her a diluted (it could burn if the skin is sore, so be sure to dilute it) white vinegar bath to get under her feathers where it's still red? You can blow her dry so she doesn't catch a chill. Can you get the spray down to her skin under her feathers?

Thank you, subhanalah, for all the info.

Even though I just checked all the girls over on Tuesday, I did another full check on them today. I found what I'm pretty sure is lice- it looks like lice I've seen on dogs- on Gladys the Buff Orp. Who, interestingly enough, is NOT the one who has been having issues! Berta, the one I've been treating, I couldn't find anything on or the other 2 girls. But I know if Gladys has the lice now so will everyone else.

I'm so upset. I'm trying so hard to do everything right and less than a week in this happens. The friend I got them from checks her flock weekly and hasn't found anything (though she'll be checking again now, haha). I use DE, I sprayed the coop with vinegar and peroxide when I got it, I just want my girls to be healthy!

I was recommended to use Eprinex on the girls to get rid of the lice. Apparently this is an Ivermectin medication, as you suggested. I'm really nervous about using it but it doesn't seem like I have a choice. I am an all natural sort of person- my dogs and cats have a holistic vet, I make all my own dog, cat, and chicken food, I don't use any chemical cleaners, shampoos, soaps, etc. in my house. And no, I don't use Tylenol or other pain killers like it, haha. So using Ivermectin on my feathered family members is a big step for me. I'm going to pick some Eprinex up today and treat the girls with it. I keep reading conflicting things on whether or not eggs can be consumed after treatment with Eprinex. I'd really like it if the eggs could be eaten since I just started getting eggs yesterday.

I'm also going to clean all the shavings out of the coop, spray with vinegar and peroxide again, and coat everything with DE again. At least it's warm today and not raining like it has been.

Edit: my post messed up

 

[subhanalah]

I did some more reading last night after you had left. Apparently you can use wood ash and neem oil. Been oil is very caustic though, and I wouldn't want to use it if I could avoid it. You can buy the goat or cattle injectable ivermectin, over the counter, and just put three drops on each hen. I know it sucks having to go that way, but for me it seems like it's the least stressful for the hens (compared to the neem oil treatment.)
I'll provide the link for you, so you can make the choice on your own.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/12/natural-way-to-rid-chickens-of-lice.html
There are also natural perethrins, but I'm not aware of any products that contain it.

And as for doing everything right and trying so hard....it happens to the best of us! Lice and mites just sometimes es happen with chickens, it's just a part of it,don't be too down on yourself! You are doing a great job by noticing the situation and trying to do something about it. Please keep us posted on how they all do!

 

[SavageDestiny]

I did some more reading last night after you had left. Apparently you can use wood ash and neem oil. Been oil is very caustic though, and I wouldn't want to use it if I could avoid it. You can buy the goat or cattle injectable ivermectin, over the counter, and just put three drops on each hen. I know it sucks having to go that way, but for me it seems like it's the least stressful for the hens (compared to the neem oil treatment.)
I'll provide the link for you, so you can make the choice on your own.
http://naturalchickenkeeping.blogspot.com/2012/12/natural-way-to-rid-chickens-of-lice.html
There are also natural perethrins, but I'm not aware of any products that contain it.

And as for doing everything right and trying so hard....it happens to the best of us! Lice and mites just sometimes es happen with chickens, it's just a part of it,don't be too down on yourself! You are doing a great job by noticing the situation and trying to do something about it. Please keep us posted on how they all do!

Well the guy at Wilco convinced me to skip the Ivermectin for now and try the DE and Poultry Protector (https://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/poultry-protector/). I think he saw how freaked out I was about the Ivermectin. Apparently I was not putting enough DE in their dust bath holes- I was coating the holes, but he said the DE should be 3" or more deep. So I sprayed the girls with the Poultry Protector, cleaned all the shavings out of the coop and sprayed everything down with it too. I'm letting it all dry and then I'm coating the inside of the coop with more DE. I will do this weekly for a couple weeks and spray the girls daily.

If it doesn't work, I will try the Ivermectin. I'm really hoping that proper use of the DE this time around will help!

 

[subhanalah]

Everything I've read here on BYC says that the DE works for prevention, but not as a treatment. I would mix in wood ash with your DE, just to give it a better chance at solving your problem.
I hope it works for you! Please keep us posted!

I just sent my husband to the feed store for some ivermectin, and the people there were absolutely clueless about it! I've learned that most times, backyard chicken keepers know fathoms more than a run of the mill feed store employee when it comes to keeping most any livestock!

 

[SavageDestiny]

Everything I've read here on BYC says that the DE works for prevention, but not as a treatment. I would mix in wood ash with your DE, just to give it a better chance at solving your problem.
I hope it works for you! Please keep us posted!

I just sent my husband to the feed store for some ivermectin, and the people there were absolutely clueless about it! I've learned that most times, backyard chicken keepers know fathoms more than a run of the mill feed store employee when it comes to keeping most any livestock!

I have no clue where to get wood ash! Burning is VERY regulated/restricted here since we live in an extremely high risk area for wildfires. Wood burning stoves in houses aren't even common. I don't even know anyone who has one. We may be past the time where you can legally burn outdoors as well, I think March may be the cutoff.

 

[subhanalah]

I have a fireplace. It's been so long since I haven't had one, I forgot other people don't have them sometimes! Lol.

 

[dawg53]

Does anyone have any other thoughts? The bald area is definitely improving with the Vetericyn sprays, but lower down where the feathers are thick she is still red.

Your friend is correct, it's irritation from laying in feces. It's not lice nor mites you're dealing with. FYI: There has been misinformation put out in this thread. Ivermectin injectable is just that; injected. It is not used as a pour on, as in putting drops put on the skin. Ivermectin pour on is put on the skin and is quickly absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream.
Ivermectin is ineffective against worms in chickens due to its overuse as a miteacide in chickens. Worms have built resistance to the product.
Ivermectin products including eprinex will kill mites, but not lice. Poultry lice do not suck blood. However, if there is blood present on the skin for example, lice will suck it up. Sevin dust will kill lice quickly. Inside coops, nests and roosts need to be treated as well as treating again in 7-10 days to kill larva hatched from eggs.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0450.1989.tb00635.x/abstract

 

[SavageDestiny]

Your friend is correct, it's irritation from laying in feces. It's not lice nor mites you're dealing with. FYI: There has been misinformation put out in this thread. Ivermectin injectable is just that; injected. It is not used as a pour on, as in putting drops put on the skin. Ivermectin pour on is put on the skin and is quickly absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream.
Ivermectin is ineffective against worms in chickens due to its overuse as a miteacide in chickens. Worms have built resistance to the product.
Ivermectin products including eprinex will kill mites, but not lice. Poultry lice do not suck blood. However, if there is blood present on the skin for example, lice will suck it up. Sevin dust will kill lice quickly. Inside coops, nests and roosts need to be treated as well as treating again in 7-10 days to kill larva hatched from eggs.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0450.1989.tb00635.x/abstract

To be honest the Sevin dust scares me a lot! I hate anything toxic enough that I can't even eat the eggs from the chickens for a week. Especially since it is a dust they can breathe in. That's just not for me, though I appreciate the advice. Hopefully the Poultry Protector will do its job!

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
You originally stated that your hen is lice/mite free, so there's no reason to treat your hen with anything at all. Here's info about Poultry Protector, see post #2:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/681509/what-is-poultry-protector