Emergency, rooster being low

[LaFleche]

I do have a problem with mites and lice that I’m currently solving with products that contain permetrin and are safe for chickens, but that doesn’t seem like a cause for his weakness.

Mites come out of the coop crevices at night and suck the blood of the birds, they leave them anemic and can even kill them overnight when there is a mite infestation in the coop.

They reproduce at enormous speed and the chickens should be treated and then housed somewhere else that is safe and mite free while the coops are being treated inside and out for mites.

Take out all beddings and burn them. Do not use straw in the coop or nest boxes as mites love to hide and reproduce in the hollow stems.

To check if there are mites left in the coop after treatment, just put some double-sided adhesive tape on the underside of the roosting bars and around their ends where they meet the walls. When the mites come out at night they will get stuck to the tape.

ETA: Feed the rooster some scrambled eggs and pieces of chopped raw beef liver to help restore his strength. And add poultry vitamins and electrolytes to his water.
I hope that he will make it.

 

[KristinaM]

I also agree with the other posters about the feed and treats. Remove everything except the commercial feed until everyone is healthy, especially the corn. The feed is complete, balanced nutrition. They do not need anything else. The more they fill up on other foods, treats and snacks, the less complete and balanced their diet is. It is just as if you let a child fill up on cake and ice cream instead of good healthy food. If you must give snacks, let it be a tiny amount, like a tablespoon per chicken per day, but no more.

I did start giving them only feed and I’ll stop giving them treats. I didn’t really think I gave them too much snacks, one slice of watermelon on 30 chickens…one head of salad…half of the gourd. But I’ll stop that, they’ll get that once a week

 

[KristinaM]

Mites come out of the coop crevices at night and suck the blood of the birds, they leave them anemic and can even kill them overnight when there is a mite infestation in the coop.

They reproduce at enormous speed and the chickens should be treated and then housed somewhere else that is safe and mite free while the coops are being treated inside and out for mites.

Take out all beddings and burn them. Do not use straw in the coop or nest boxes as mites love to hide and reproduce in the hollow stems.

To check if there are mites left in the coop after treatment, just put some double-sided adhesive tape on the underside of the roosting bars and around their ends where they meet the walls. When the mites come out at night they will get stuck to the tape.

ETA: Feed the rooster some scrambled eggs and pieces of chopped raw beef liver to help restore his strength. And add poultry vitamins and electrolytes to his water.
I hope that he will make it.

Thank you for the advice, I’ll try that. He’s been like that for a month now…but I’ve been trying almost anything. I bought the crumbled oysters for them too…so we’ll see.