Blackhead or Histomoniasis case in Chicken

[TwoCrows]

Once they get infested with worms, it becomes difficult to treat. Or if nothing else, takes a while to rid the birds of them. And some of these wormers, like Wazine, do not take care of the Roundworm eggs themselves. Only the adult worms. So another dose of Wazine or another type of wormer must be administered again in about 12 days...after the eggs hatch.

But at least you are getting a handle on it. I hope they all make a complete recovery.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Just some thought processes today about Sylvia:

This winter she was 1 of 2 consistant layers for me with two roos in the run she was overmated and had feather loss on her back and with our long Winter some of the other hens also helped themselves to some of her feathers.

Always humbling and learning with these chickens.

By this spring she was bare-backed and sporting a hen apron for the rest of this spring and this summer. Today I got home and just did a little check over on her, treating her with some pumpkin seeds, and lo and behold her back is loaded with pin feathers. Alleluia! This is great news. But I was thinking about this popular thread I followed this winter about a rescue who was doing well over her 6 month recovery--great lady who does rescues often and knows her stuff-- and right after her regrowth of a bunch of back feathers she started failing and succumbed to coccidosis.

My thought is this: with the regrowth and protein and nutrient use of the hen, essentially energy output getting feathers back in do you think that it is wearing enough to allow a hen to get sick or succumb to diseases that they usually keep in check with their immune system? It's just a hypothesis of mine that I wonder now comparing these two cases in which feathers were coming in like crazy, and that timing was preceded or followed by a serious illness.

Just thoughts out loud.... What do you all think?

 

[TwoCrows]

Bogtown, I can tell you that molting is hard on birds. Especially if it is a hard molt...one that the bird loses a lot of feathers at one time and regrows them quick....as compared to a slow molt where the bird slowly loses feathers and takes for ever to regrow them. Molting can make them lose their appetites, make them very tired, diarrhea, grumpy and of course having to produce the nutrients to make a new set of feathers is taxing to the birds internal reserves. Feathers are made up of mostly keratin protein. And many times if the bird is lacking in proteins and amino acids, will get what protein it needs from it's own body to produce these feathers. I also keep parrots and some of the really old ones will get weakened immune systems during this time. I see a LOT of diarrhea during their molts with these old birds.

So if a bird is already weak or has an issue going on inside the body during a molt, the molting process will drag the bird down even further. This is probably what happened to the bird with the cocci. Cocci is extremely rough on a bird to begin with. And no doubt was fighting that battle before the molt.

So keeping the flock as healthy as possible will help a bird get thru a stressful molt easier.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I always thought that about that thread I read over the winter and into this spring....it was such a sad outcome after that hen had come so far. And now Sylvia's issues arising around the time she pushes new pin feathers through. I think too it's all inter-related. Your wonderful explanation TwoCrows says it all to me.

Tricky business this chicken keeping can be. I guess it's as hard or as easy as you want it to be....but the level of care I want for these girls I guess is up there and that's what I'll do.

So that being said with her feathers coming in...I should probably definitely hold that Valbazen treatment until they are pretty much through... I've heard or read that the wormers can goof up the feathers coming in....?

 

[TwoCrows]

Yes....especially fenbendazole. Supposed to really mess up the feathers. Wormers can be hard on birds. I have a chicken that gets positively ill on fenbendazole. The only wormer she can tolerate is Wazine. So hopefully she never needs any other type of wormer. She is almost 3 years old now. And I have never had any trouble with any worms other than round worms.

If I were you, I would hold off on the worming till she is done with molting. The worming might tax the body more.

Yes, chicken keepings is as easy as we make it. I look at it as a huge learning experience and when one of them gets sick, I work like crazy to save them. It not only helps them out, but I learn a ton of things along the way. What does one learn from culling a sick bird that might survive with proper treatment? As long as they are not a danger to the entire flock, I say save them.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Sylvia is High Hen again with feathers on her back. Just as I was getting ready to worm her, her tail feathers have fallen to the coop floor...LOL...She's in full molt and well needed. She's looking beautiful despite the tail feathers...but it's like watching and waiting for a pot to boil.

Everybody else has been wormed twice with Valbazen, and we're still in our egg slump so no harm no foul on throwing out 1 dozen eggs or so over the last few weeks. I'm glad for them being wormed and when everybody else has their turn at molting this fall which I'm guessing will come they should be healthy to with stand it. No apparent worms though that I saw on the poop linoleum for the others which is a surprise to me unless they were all small and slipped by. It was good to do though nonetheless. I feel.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Here is Sylvia this morning sporting her new feathers. She is heavy and strong. First to the feeding bowl and for treats thrown out. Following the rooster around first in line again. We've had zero rain in the last month...so it's been quite dry for worm hunting. But they're making due on grasshoppers and dragon flies. Sylvia's sporting a little bandage on her foot for a bumble foot I took care of last night after I saw her limping...but other than that she is back to her "Complete Character" self.

 

[casportpony]

Glad to see she's better!

-Kathy

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Thanks so much Kathy. I finally took some time this AM and got the camera out. She looked so pretty in the morning sun...

I wanted to put a happy ending on this Thread. Best to you and see you around BYC. ~Amy

 

[Bogtown Chick]

So today was the last dose of wormer (valbazen) for Sylvia. She continues to thrive and is down right mean and bossy to the other girls in her flock. She makes us laugh. I will tell you this that I never saw one worm on the poop boards after worming 10 birds (twice). And I somewhat question any infestation with any of them. I the oocytes I saw on some excrement in the yard...I think, were actually fly eggs and early maggots. IDK...what to think... But all I know is Sylvia is better and looks great, strong and keeps us smiling. Hopefully there will be some eggs again soon...but only when she's ready.