Fleas on baby chicks eyes

[dennis_s]

Last night my wife was surprised when my daughter brought home 4 baby chicks for my wife's birthday. I was looking at the chicks eyes and ask "why is that ones eyes closed". Upon closer exam you could see lots and lots of fleas around it's eyes. My wife and daughter grabbed the tweasers and started picking off the fleas. Today the chick is just lying there. Looks like it might die at any minute. She don't know what to do to help. She has been trying to give it water with an eye dropper. Any ideas that might help this chick make it though. Thanks

 

[goldeneggtees]

i dont think it's fleas, it may be mites, they need to be dusted with medication to kill all the mites but i'm not sure what stuff to recommend on small chicks, hope someone with more knowledge in this area chimes in soon. good luck!

 

[dennis_s]

Do mites jump around like fleas? They were having a heck of a time catching and killing these things.

 

[3goodeggs]

There are poultry fleas.
fleas are host specific, but they will have no problem tasting you to see if you are the correct host.
My office is buried in canned goods, but I will look for my entomology book and see if I can help.
meanwhile some one with a less cluttered house or brain will come to your rescue.
I will get back with you.

Okay, bird fleas are of the family Pulicidae, subfamily pulicinae, in the order Siphonaptera.
this group includes the stick tight flea Echidnophaga gallinacea -which attacks poultry and occasionally other birds and mammals.
The book goes on to say that 'they congregate in masses on the host's head and remain attached for several days or even weeks.'
and this was not a 'how to kill them' but 'how to identify them' book, so I will have to defer to someone else for that.
however, around the eyes is tricky. You may try to smother them with a coating of Vaseline.
They breath through spiracles in the abdomen. if you clog those up, they should die.

 

[goldeneggtees]

sorry if i gave wrong advice. wish i could help more. did you try googling poultry fleas to see what else can be done to eradicate them?

 

[dennis_s]

After talking to the wife to be sure, she said. They appeared to be stuck around the eyes. They were hard to get off. When they fell to the table they would jump around. I have googled stick tight fleas and they also say olive oil will help. It appears that she has removed all of them. Changed the bedding, so far so good. This chick just seems awful weak though now. She is still giving water with an eye dropper. It does not want to eat. She tried mixing some food with water. The chick don't want to take it though.

 

[3goodeggs]

yipe. It was sucked dry. poor thing. electrolyte water? look in search for a sugar water ratio for chicks. it may be an energy problem as well.
poor Chickie.
I do not know what to tell you.
I hope it will be a happy ending though.

 

[goldeneggtees]

have you tried feeding it scrambled eggs or yogurt? i know people mix vitamins in with their water sometimes, like electrolytes or possibly even pedialyte. the emergency section of the forum sometimes gets no replies at all, it's frustrating, wish i could be of more help!

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Try soaking chick feed in lots of water, then using the water to eye-drop the chick with. Scrambled(no oil) or hard-boiled eggs might also work if the chick will eat it.