Bugs killing my chickens?! How to get rid of small biting flies?

cat1994

Songster
9 Years
Sep 12, 2010
1,065
6
153
Southeast MO
I don't know what to do! My chickens are dying and I really don't know what the problem is. I think that the lil biting flies are killing them! That's all I can think of. I have had chickens for 10 yrs or so and I have never had these lil biting flies before, I have tried everything I can think of to get my chickens healthy again and to kill the lil flies but I don't think it is wroking. Help please!! Does anyone know a really good way to get rid of these lil flies?

1) What type of bird , age and weight.
Umm, Idk what there weights were, but the two brids that have died were about 1 yr old, one was a silver laced wyandotte hen and the other was a white-crested black polish hen.
2) What is the behavior, exactly.
Well they are lacking energy or alertness, they are panting and they have their mouths open, they keep shaking their heads b/c of the flies (I think), and scratching their necks and heads with their feet b/c of the flies (I tnink), their necks are almost bare b/c the flies are biting them there (I know, I have seen them).
3) How long has the bird been exhibiting symptoms?
This all started Thursday 20th when I saw one of my hens shaking her head alot, by Friday the 21st one hen was dead and another was dying
4) Are other birds exhibiting the same symptoms?
Yes, I have 16 brids now (I had 18 before Friday) 8 are exhibiting a lot of the symptoms (those 8 are all between 1-6 yrs old), 6 are just shaking their heads a lil (those 6 are only about month old) the two others are a broodyhen and her one lil chick
5) Is there any bleeding, injury, broken bones or other sign of trauma.
Nope
6) What happened, if anything that you know of, that may have caused the situation.
Well, it was really raining a lot here and it was flooded for about a week (the water never got to the hen house or runs), so that may be why there are so many of these flies
7) What has the bird been eating and drinking, if at all.
They are eating layer crumbles and drinking water until they really start lacking energy, then they die
8) How does the poop look? Normal? Bloody? Runny? etc.
It looks Runny or normal sometimes
9) What has been the treatment you have administered so far?
antibiotics and vitamin boosters (both go in the water) and 7 dust
10 ) What is your intent as far as treatment? For example, do you want to treat completely yourself, or do you need help in stabilizing the bird til you can get to a vet?
I have been treating them myself
11) If you have a picture of the wound or condition, please post it. It may help.
They are just sluggish, almost depressed looking
12) Describe the housing/bedding in use
They have a hen house, a small covered dirt run, and a really big grass run, ummm bedding, well there is some straw on the ground of the small run, but the hen house has a wire/ wood floor

Can someone help me? Thanks
 
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I think I would buy some seven dust and fly traps asap. Are these houseflies, horseflies, or something else? Either way, I would think the seven dust would kill them and any eggs and maggots. Good luck!
 
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Thanks but I have already got 7 dust on them (used two whole bottels on the hen house, runs, and them). I will get som fly traps. They are not houseflies or horseflies, they are the size of gnats but they don't look like them when you see them up close. and they bit (they even bit me)
 
I would put food grade diatomaceous(sp) earth over every place you see the flies/gnats. Saturate the area where poop piles up.
 
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OMG thank you so much thats what they are!! I live in MO. Thats what the are I looked them up and that what the are!!! Thanks so much!!! I have never even heard of them before, now I just have to use the stuff that was said on the other topics to get rid of them. Thatnks so much, you may have just saved my whole flock!!!
 

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