Feather mites--how long until the tail feathers recover?

[Mo'sMenagerie]

OK. I will try using the elector again after soaking her in epsom salt and massaging her gland. When you say massage the gland, do you think just applying a little pressure with my thumb is ok, or actually trying to get it bw two fingers and gently massaging it that way? She doesn't like me touching me it...poor thang.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like lice @EggSighted4Life what do you think?
The oil gland may be a little swollen due to the parasites, unless she is picking at it, I would leave it alone and see if it looks better over the course of several days and after the lice are gone. Right now it does not look angry/inflamed.

 

[Henriettamom919]

OK. I will try using the elector again after soaking her in epsom salt and massaging her gland. When you say massage the gland, do you think just applying a little pressure with my thumb is ok, or actually trying to get it bw two fingers and gently massaging it that way? She doesn't like me touching me it...poor thang.

I would kind of massage around the base, but don't squeeze between thumb and forefinger. Hold the soak on, massage, give her and you a little break while it dries then apply the vetricyn. If she freaks then skip straight to vetricyn and try the rest later. I'd give it a week, assumingit doesn't swell or redden further and then consider oral or injectable antibiotics.

Poor baby (and you!)

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

Looks like lice @EggSighted4Life what do you think?
The oil gland may be a little swollen due to the parasites, unless she is picking at it, I would leave it alone and see if it looks better over the course of several days and after the lice are gone. Right now it does not look angry/inflamed.
View attachment 1827674

Thanks for the information. Having never really looked closely at one of these glands, I wasn't sure what a healthy one is supposed to look like.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

I would kind of massage around the base, but don't squeeze between thumb and forefinger. Hold the soak on, massage, give her and you a little break while it dries then apply the vetricyn. If she freaks then skip straight to vetricyn and try the rest later. I'd give it a week, assumingit doesn't swell or redden further and then consider oral or injectable antibiotics.

Poor baby (and you!)

Thank you for this. You think I should try the elector again after the vetricyn?

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

Looks like lice @EggSighted4Life what do you think?
The oil gland may be a little swollen due to the parasites, unless she is picking at it, I would leave it alone and see if it looks better over the course of several days and after the lice are gone. Right now it does not look angry/inflamed.
View attachment 1827674

It looks like there’s some lice eggs on the base of the feathers as well.

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

Well, with all the feedback, I went ahead and soaked my girl in warm epsom salt water and gave her gland area a nice massage. I then treated her with the vetricyn (on the oil gland) and elector psp everywhere else. She was so great. She's the sweetest darned chicken ever.

It's cold here tonight and she was shivering, so I also gave her a blow dry.She almost seemed to like it. I'll repeat the procedure for a few days. Good thing it's Friday and the weekend is here! Makes it easier to do.

Should I also treat my other 5 birds in the coop with her? None of them show signs of issues at this point.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Looks like lice @EggSighted4Life what do you think?
The oil gland may be a little swollen due to the parasites, unless she is picking at it, I would leave it alone and see if it looks better over the course of several days and after the lice are gone. Right now it does not look angry/inflamed.
View attachment 1827674

Oh... I was trying to figure out why it had four holes in it! Thinking I never seen anything like that.

Yes, that is the same color as lice....

 

[aart]

Having never really looked closely at one of these glands, I wasn't sure what a healthy one is supposed to look like.

Look at your other birds oil glands for comparison....before you treat them.

Should I also treat my other 5 birds in the coop with her?

Yes, when finding parasites good to treat them all.

I'd not give any baths or soaks, let the pesticide do it's work...just keep observing.

ETA:Still not clear on just what parasite she has, if any live moving bugs were ever seen.
That dust in the gland pic could be dust ...or mite eggs..doesn't look like lice eggs to me(have seen plenty)and not sure feather mites(depluming mites) lay egg where they can be seen externally on feathers.
May have already posted this, but take a look:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-nothing-works.1256486/page-3#post-20162786

 

[Mo'sMenagerie]

Look at your other birds oil glands for comparison....before you treat them.

Yes, when finding parasites good to treat them all.

I'd not give any baths or soaks, let the pesticide do it's work...just keep observing.

ETA:Still not clear on just what parasite she has, if any live moving bugs were ever seen.
That dust in the gland pic could be dust ...or mite eggs..doesn't look like lice eggs to me(have seen plenty)and not sure feather mites(depluming mites) lay egg where they can be seen externally on feathers.
May have already posted this, but take a look:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-nothing-works.1256486/page-3#post-20162786

I never saw any moving live bugs. I only saw the gland looking weird and not secreting and her feathers going to hell. So I treated her and all the birds, even though she's the only one showing symptoms.