Fly strike treatments.

[Glennlarch]

Hi BYC friends.
I have a hen that appears to have fly strike. Very large bulbous section below her vent. Lethargic and runny green poop. Our temperatures in south eastern British Columbia this summer have been hot, dry and smokey. My husband was kind enough to install an extra perch for the girls above the sheltered nest boxes when we increased the flock. i think the trouble is the distance between the perch and the overhang for the boxes is a mere 3". I clear the droppings daily, but wonder if the fly's have the opportunity in the meantime. I am looking for ideas on how to treat this poor little lady that is clearly suffering.... thanks

 

[PD-Riverman]

I do not know what you mean by very large---or if it is raw or what ever. Anything that flies are attacking----I clean and spray with blu-kote---solves my problems with the flies and usually heals the wound..

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Very large bulbous section below her vent. Lethargic and runny green poop

Hi @Glennlarch Can you post some photos of the wound?

I am assuming you are seeing maggots?

Soak her in epsom salts, salt water, betadine or soapy water. FLUSH the wound well to remove any maggots you see. Remove maggots with tweezers if you need to. If there is pus remove that as well - you may need to debride the wound (scrub out the wound with a rough washcloth being as gentle as you can). Repeat the flushing, soaking until you don't find any more maggot activity. Dry the wound and apply triple antibiotic ointment or Vetericyn to the wound.

Since she is lethargic, keep watch on her closely - keep her separated and offer poultry vitamins. She may be dehydrated so encourage drinking. Once she is drinking well, then start adding food - some chopped egg in addition to her normal food would be good.

If you have a vet that can see her that would be best.

Keep us posted.

 

[Glennlarch]

Thanks for this. The trouble is there is no wound. The vent had matted poo on it, and that was my signal to clean her. I clipped away the feathers that i couldn't wash away. Just wondering if you know of a way to get them out when there is no open wound....?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks for this. The trouble is there is no wound. The vent had matted poo on it, and that was my signal to clean her. I clipped away the feathers that i couldn't wash away. Just wondering if you know of a way to get them out when there is no open wound....?

I am having a hard time understanding what you are asking....can you post photos?

Do you see live maggots on the hen's vent?

 

[Eggcessive]

You could just be dealing with some sort of enlargement under her vent. Pictures would indeed help. Are the feathers gone or picked out? Is it reddened ? Does the vent opening look normal?

This is a picture of a hen with some mystery mass under the vent area.

 

[Glennlarch]

Good morning. Up before my rooster today. I separated my girl from the flock and is now in the chicken infirmary. I managed to get some photos. Sorry they are grainy. Her vent shows no sign of maggots, and appears to be normal. The poo is green. I clean it daily. When I washed her up this morning the enlargement is literally the size of the palm of my hand. It makes her waddle like a duck. Her comb is very pale. I found her roosting in the nest box which makes me think it is too uncomfortable or heavy to fly up and perch where she normally does. Thanks for helping me out with this.

 

[Glennlarch]

Her feathers are not picked out and it doesn't seem reddened. It seems similar to the photo posted by Eggsessive. The alien green poo and pale comb, is this a sign of infection? I'm still learning all this chicken stuff. Thanks again.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Is the abdomen swollen/bloated?

If she is waddling like a duck and seems uncomfortable, she may have an internal laying/reproductive disorder like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Ascites, cancer or tumors. These can cause lethargy, going off feed, difficulty walking, swelling/bloat/fluid in the abdomen and shortness of breath. If the bulge is fluid filled it can sometimes be drained to give a hen relief for a while, some people drain it themselves using a needle and syringe, but if you have vet care that would be best.

Green poop can be an indication of infection, not eating or absorbing nutrients properly and sometimes worms or coccidiosis.

http://www.chickenvet.co.uk/health-and-common-diseases/egg-laying-issues/index.aspx

 

[Glennlarch]

Oh...Thank you for this link. The first section of the article, egg peritonitis describes her symptoms to a tee. Oh dear. I will do some more research into draining. It appears this is what she has. She was one of my best layers...