Chicken Won't Eat after Blowfly Attack

[Mama Helen]

Currently, we have a Dorking named Bark in our infirmary. She had been missing for almost a week, before we found out she was sitting on a nest in an overgrown area. Last Sunday, I found her by our cellar door and noticed two or three iridescent flies buzzing around her. I picked her up to make sure she was okay and found her underside was covered with maggots. I brought her in and cleaned her up the best I could, flushing out and pulling off as many of them as I could see. Then my daughters took over while I went to Tractor Supply to see what might help. The were still working when I got home. Unfortunately, after reading the precautions on the label of the cream Tractor Supply sold to me (which was for horse and cows only), I was afraid to put it on Bark. We just continued to remove maggots and bathed our hen afterwards. It was a five-hour ordeal. We went with the antibiotic spray and smothered the wound with triple antibiotic as recommended in several online forums. She looked clear and perky before bed, but the next morning she had a new infestation in a completely different spot. We must've missed some eggs. We repeated the process of removing maggots. This time I went to Agway, and got Fly Rid plus. Her one leg was eaten down to the muscle in the spot of the new infestation, and she seemed to be in shock by the time we finished. We put her in our brooder box to warm her and gave her electrolytes and warm mash with a medicine dropper several times during the day. By the next morning, Bark was standing on her own and seemed to be okay. She fought the dropper but ate mash and yogurt on her own. It was a week yesterday, but she still refuses to eat her pellets. She pecks but doesn't eat. When we give her mash, she pecks enthusiastically, but consumes just a little at a time. She's only eating about a quarter to a third cup of mash/yogurt a day and has no interest in boiled eggs. We've continued to put antibiotic on her wounds, and these are healing. In all other aspects, Bark seems to be herself again. (As for her eggs, 10 of the 16 are in an incubator and should hatch today or tomorrow.)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Mama Helen

It sounds like you have been treating the wounds well. From your description the Flystrike was severe.

Have you noticed any odors or smelly pus coming from the wounds?

She may benefit from some poultry vitamins. If she doesn't like egg, you can try sardines, tuna, mackerel or some meat (some chickens love beef liver and this is packed with nutrients). Alternatively, since you will be having chicks any day you can see if she will eat chick starter - this is a higher source of protein.
Provide her with poultry grit free choice as well.

Is her crop emptying overnight?
What does her poop look like?

 

[Mama Helen]

No smell or pus. All is healing well. Her poop is somewhat runny and brown. We figured she's drinking but not eating a lot, so it would be more liquidy.

How do I know if the crop is emptying? She's eliminating waste several times a day, so we never considered that to be an issue.

We have tuna so will try that. Yogurt seems to be what she's happiest with at the moment. Thanks.

 

[Mama Helen]

Five eggs are pipped and in the process of hatching!

 

[Wolfsbane]

Fly strike sucks, I fed one of my hens cans of tuna with sunflower seeds when she didn't want to eat scrambled eggs, best you can do is keep washing it, maggots eat only dead flesh but they also let out something which kills more flesh for them to eat. It's super gross! I've heard of a spray called Worm Screw spray which apparently can kill the maggots but I've never found it.

I've found that giving a bath and then glow drying them to dry the area out keeps maggots away, some people will use wonder dust as well.

Here is a good article that might help you: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/07/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No smell or pus. All is healing well. Her poop is somewhat runny and brown. We figured she's drinking but not eating a lot, so it would be more liquidy.

How do I know if the crop is emptying? She's eliminating waste several times a day, so we never considered that to be an issue.

We have tuna so will try that. Yogurt seems to be what she's happiest with at the moment. Thanks.

To check the crop, feel it at night when you put her to "bed". It should be full (have food/water in it). Check it again first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks - the crop should be empty or flat.
If she is pooping several times a day, then most likely her crop is functioning well.
It was just a thought - if the crop is not functioning, then they can stop eating as much.

I hope she recovers soon, keep us posted.

 

[Mama Helen]

Fly strike sucks, I fed one of my hens cans of tuna with sunflower seeds when she didn't want to eat scrambled eggs, best you can do is keep washing it, maggots eat only dead flesh but they also let out something which kills more flesh for them to eat. It's super gross! I've heard of a spray called Worm Screw spray which apparently can kill the maggots but I've never found it.

I've found that giving a bath and then glow drying them to dry the area out keeps maggots away, some people will use wonder dust as well.

Here is a good article that might help you: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/07/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html

She's been free of the flies since last Monday when we cleaned out the second infestation. Those flies attacked an area that was alive and well with no scratches the previous day. We think there may have been eggs sticking to her wings. I think there is at least one type of fly that can attack living flesh. Thanks for the info. I've had chickens for almost 30 years, and this was a first. I hope I never have to deal with flystrike again.

 

[Mama Helen]

To check the crop, feel it at night when you put her to "bed". It should be full (have food/water in it). Check it again first thing in the morning before she eats/drinks - the crop should be empty or flat.
If she is pooping several times a day, then most likely her crop is functioning well.
It was just a thought - if the crop is not functioning, then they can stop eating as much.

I hope she recovers soon, keep us posted.

Thanks. We'll check her crop tonight and tomorrow morning. We tried the tuna. Bark had no interest for several minutes, but then she finally ate some on her own.

 

[Wolfsbane]

She's been free of the flies since last Monday when we cleaned out the second infestation. Those flies attacked an area that was alive and well with no scratches the previous day. We think there may have been eggs sticking to her wings. I think there is at least one type of fly that can attack living flesh. Thanks for the info. I've had chickens for almost 30 years, and this was a first. I hope I never have to deal with flystrike again.

Good to hear that she's doing better I've had it with mine about 3 times and I hope I never see it again, freaks me out