Did I miss the signs or can infestations happen really fast?

[Nonny]

I feel like such a bad chicken mum!! :-(

One of my girls yesterday had a darker looking face than usual, so I picked her up and gave her a good check over and found that she has both mites and lice! I headed straight for the produce store and grabbed some treatment and dusted all three girls thoroughly last night, and did a complete coop and run clean out today and dusted all their dust-bathing areas as well.

Then, they came up to the back step and left me a pile of runny poop as a gift, and when I went to clean it up I saw it was full of tiny round worms, so now we're off to the store again to get some wormer.

I handle them daily, I'm out there with them daily, and I clean the poop trays daily and have a quick look to make sure all looks as it should.

We've had a very hot few days here after quite a cold snap so I'm wondering if the heat has suddenly made a lot of eggs hatch (not chicken eggs, bug eggs).

Yesterday was the only time I've noticed them looking a bit under the weather (aside from being a bit scruffy lately and losing some feathers which I assumed was a moult as they haven't had one since I bought them). They're all still eating and drinking normally, I'm getting an egg from each of them most days as per usual. Today aside from the black face, one of the girls is spending a fair bit of time with her beak open slightly. SHould I be worried or is this likely a result of the lice/mites/worms???

My poor chookies!!!

 

[maybejoey]

How hot is it there?

 

[Nonny]

It's been getting up to about 35C (95F) for the past three days, after a week of low 20's. I've given them some frozen mixed veges in water for something sold to drink, and rigged up a tarp over the run for some added shade.

 

[artsyrobin]

can you get ivomectrin pour on over there? just a couple drops on the skin would take care of internal and external bugs- kind of like flea drops for dogs.... and yes, they can sneak up on them...

 

[Nonny]

Quote:
The dust I used was a Rotenone/Sulfur one. Not sure what the bottle of worming stuff is that I'm getting from the store this afternoon.... I just asked if they had poultry worming treatment and they said they had a 125ml bottle, and that it stated there was no withholding period for eggs, so I don't think it would be ivomectrin.

Is there a specific one I should ask for?

 

[artsyrobin]

ok, here are a couple threads-

this first one is from folks in your part of the world
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=291463


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=57459
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=562939

here is what i was told about using it-

It is Ivermectin liquid (NOT the horse wormer paste). It is the kind for cattle & swine and is off label for poultry. I use 4-5 drops for bantams and 7-8 drops for large fowl. Repeat in 10 days to catch any eggs that have hatched. I got about a 6-8 oz. bottle at TSC and it lasted a long time. Get a syringe with a big needle, too. Those little insulin needles are too fine to get anything out of the bottle.

i got the generic version, is less expensive that way... hope that helps- it is topical, not injection, and i just use a squeeze bottle, for a few drops, it does need to be applied to skin, so usually i put it on the back between the wings​

 

[maybejoey]

They will open mouth slightly and beathe heavily when it gets hot ( a.k.a pant) to keep there temperature down. Also dont pick them up after they drink a lot on hot days because they will puke on you.