Dealing with my old Rock Hen

[Pabbott]

Mary is an old Hen. She was given to me a year ago and was past egg laying. Got her and another to keep my rooster company.
I noticed slight limping periodically. I inspected her for bumblefoot and she doesn’t have signs. I did find that she has leg mites. Both the birds I got to beep the rooster happy has them. Being a first time chicken owner I thought the raised scales were a normal thing. Well back to the story- I soaked feet and legs of both birds and treated with vasoline several times. I treated the rooster as well. I read that mites bad enough could make a chicken lame.
well Mary’s lameness came and went for a couple months but as winter approached she really started to highstep and kicking out with both legs when walking. I also noticed that her eyes started to not open all the way.
so read many articles- since there is no vet in my area that will see chickens- and I believe arthritis and possibly some blindness is the reason. I decided on a 0 temperature morning when I saw mary, who no longer sleeps on a roost but in a nesting box or she burrows into the deep bedding, shivering in the coop, that she needed to come into the house to get well. I really thought she was going to die on me. I noticed that Mary is pulling out feathers on each wing and in her chest. I started treating her with lice/mite medicine topical. I do not see any sign of either. I am also doing a daily vasoline coating on her legs and feet. I have found mats in her feathers and a little everyday trying to remove as many as I can. Her skin in only a couple small spots look red.
Mary eats, drinks and poops very good. I believe she feels better but I still see her picking at her feathers.
what can I do for her?

 

[Cassandra Lana]

I’m not sure what cures leg mites but keeping my birds feet off mud helps . Not sure why she is pecks herself if you have checked for bugs . You could see about making her a jacket to stop her from reaching those places . It wouldn’t even need to be heavy fleece.

I hope she keeps getting better ~ Cassie

 

[ChicNmom]

The matts in feathers sound like poultry lice. They are hard to see because they move fast and don't bite them so there are no marks. I've never had one pull feathers off their wings.
Whether you are using a spray or powder make sure it gets down to skin level.

The only time I have had one pull chest feathers is if there is a crop issue.

At least she is eating and drinking OK

 

[Pabbott]

I’m not sure what cures leg mites but keeping my birds feet off mud helps . Not sure why she is pecks herself if you have checked for bugs . You could see about making her a jacket to stop her from reaching those places . It wouldn’t even need to be heavy fleece.

I hope she keeps getting better ~ Cassie

What a great idea on the best/ jacket! I might have to try that! Thank you!!!

 

[coach723]

Can you post some pictures close up of the areas of feathers she's pecking? And pictures of the mats in her feathers?
I see feather shafts on her neck, it's not close enough to see if they are pin feathers or broken shafts. If they are pin feathers then she's molting and the 'pecking' is probably just her grooming and picking feathers shafts off of new feathers.
I would not recommend a jacket, it's likely to cause more problems than it fixes.

 

[Pabbott]

Can you post some pictures close up of the areas of feathers she's pecking? And pictures of the mats in her feathers?
I see feather shafts on her neck, it's not close enough to see if they are pin feathers or broken shafts. If they are pin feathers then she's molting and the 'pecking' is probably just her grooming and picking feathers shafts off of new feathers.
I would not recommend a jacket, it's likely to cause more problems than it fixes.

Here are a couple of pictures I got this morning.

 

[Pabbott]

Here are a couple of pictures I got this morning.

And this hen has Spurs! What’s up with that?

 

[coach723]

Some hens do get spurs. It does look like she's picking her own feathers. It could be depluming mites, which are not as common as other mites/lice. They are microscopic and burrow into the tissue at the base of the feathers and the itching can be so bad that birds will pull their own feathers trying to get relief. More info and suggested treatments here:
https://wagwalking.com/bird/condition/depluming-scabies
Can you get a better, more focused picture of her legs and feet? It may just be gunk from the mites, but I can't tell for sure.
Here is more on lice and mites in general, with pictures.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/scaly-leg-mites-in-chickens/

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I agree, I would treat her for lice/mites on the body or even depluming mites.
Since she's not laying eggs, Ivermectin Pour On would be a good treatment for lice/mites/SLM and Depluming Mites. Dose is 0.09ml per pound of weight apply to the skin at the base of the neck, repeat in 10 days.

You mention high stepping - is her crop emptying completely overnight? Take out food/water when it's time for to sleep all night, feel her crop it should be full. In the morning feel the crop again - it should be empty. If it's not, then treating for crop issues would be in order.

If you do find lice/mites on her - then the rooster and other hen(s) would need to be treated along with their housing.

 

[Pabbott]

Some hens do get spurs. It does look like she's picking her own feathers. It could be depluming mites, which are not as common as other mites/lice. They are microscopic and burrow into the tissue at the base of the feathers and the itching can be so bad that birds will pull their own feathers trying to get relief. More info and suggested treatments here:
https://wagwalking.com/bird/condition/depluming-scabies
Can you get a better, more focused picture of her legs and feet? It may just be gunk from the mites, but I can't tell for sure.
Here is more on lice and mites in general, with pictures.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
https://the-chicken-chick.com/scaly-leg-mites-in-chickens/

I sure can. Will do today when I give her the treatment. Which she loves - NOT