Fly strike - prevention

[aharriso]

I had 5 hens and recently my alpha hen (Barred Rock) was hit with a fly strike. I was out of town over a weekend and, when I got back, by the time I noticed that she had an issue around her bottom, it was too late. Feathers and skin were gone in a 6 in diameter area. There were tons of fly larva (I guess maggots) on the area. I rushed her to the vet and she gave me 2 options - $1000 medical bill just to clean up and try to treat or euthanasia. The Vet could not tell how far into the body cavity the maggots went and was not sure if we were going to be able to fix this. I ended up choosing euthanasia but I have been struggling with whether I could have done something to prevent this. I checked all over my other 4 hens and don't see any open sores. Is there something I can do to prevent this from recurring? Is there some sort of topical I can put on my hens? It's very hot and humid here and my vet said that could have contributed. Just want to ensure I am doing all the right things. I really hated to lose her. She was a good hen.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[MidwestChickens]

I don't know much about fly strikes or such. But I do know what your going through, I once had to put down one of my leghorns because it was brutally injured by a dog. I felt like it was the right thing to do but I still feel bad. I guess things like that are just a part of life. It happens :/

 

[seminolewind]

I had 5 hens and recently my alpha hen (Barred Rock) was hit with a fly strike. I was out of town over a weekend and, when I got back, by the time I noticed that she had an issue around her bottom, it was too late. Feathers and skin were gone in a 6 in diameter area. There were tons of fly larva (I guess maggots) on the area. I rushed her to the vet and she gave me 2 options - $1000 medical bill just to clean up and try to treat or euthanasia. The Vet could not tell how far into the body cavity the maggots went and was not sure if we were going to be able to fix this. I ended up choosing euthanasia but I have been struggling with whether I could have done something to prevent this. I checked all over my other 4 hens and don't see any open sores. Is there something I can do to prevent this from recurring? Is there some sort of topical I can put on my hens? It's very hot and humid here and my vet said that could have contributed. Just want to ensure I am doing all the right things. I really hated to lose her. She was a good hen.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I had one hen with fly strike last year. I was in shock. It was a 2 inch circle and I had gotten it all cleaned out and dry. But the hen died from egg peritonitis that had been brewing for quite some time. So , maybe there's an underlying illness that changes the poop and attracts flies? In 8 years, it's only been the one hen. Sorry it happened. I think all you can do is just check your chickens periodically, and what I do is if someone has a continuously dirty butt, I snip all the dirty feathers off.

 

[emmaie892000]

Fly strike happens when the feathers (typically under the vent) get dirty and attract flies which lay eggs in the skin. The dirty feathers also could cause sores due to the irritation from the poop, which make the flies job easier. The best prevention I can think of would be to make sure your chickens have a place to take dust baths, these will dry up the poop and keep them generally cleaner. If you notice a chicken with a dirty bottom, clean it off. If a chicken gets a habitually dirty bottom, you'll probably want to trim the down around their vents to prevent it from accumulating. Lastly, check your chickens frequently during the summer months, ESPECIALLY when it's unusually wet or they seem a little under the weather.
Flystrike is my worst nightmare when it comes to keeping chickens because I can't stand maggots on flesh, just the idea of it makes me sick, so I'm a bit of an obsessive checker.

 

[seminolewind]

They really grossed me out. I coated them with Sevin and went in the house for about 1/2 hour. Then went back when they were dead and scraped them out. It was about 1/2 inch deep. Washed with soap and water, dried and applied antibiotic ointment. It had major healing just overnight.

Emmaie, you have a good point about the irritation creating sores. .

 

[aharriso]

Thanks for the replies and advice. It makes me feel a little better to hear other stories (and the fact it is kind of a freak accident). I am now so paranoid and continually check their bottoms and under feathers. I am wondering if there is a topical that I can put on them that might prevent as well (for a little added protection). Does Diatomaceous Earth help or is that for other types of pests? I have also started putting my spearmint and rosemary clippings in the run to help with flies - I think I read that those herbs repel flies and some other insects.