UPDATED serious flystrike

[anomala]

Yes, I have some syringes someplace I will try that when I do a saline flush soon. Fortunately I don't believe the under skin hole (at least the opening to it) is nearly big enough for a turkey baster. Earlier I had filled the open area with vetermycin and tilted her so it ran into the under skin opening, and some of it drained in but not all so I'm really hoping it may not go as far as I fear. Also tho could be a trapped air bubble or soak water so not sure how much of a tell that is. Very cautiously optimistic we can still win flushing out the maggots, I do think the long soaks are helping drive out even the deep ones based on how long it takes for them to appear. My biggest concern is her body's ability to heal a dirty, under skin wound. The open area is about 1.5"x1.5", and the swelling is about the length and width of an egg.

 

[coach723]

If you have not already done so, trimming back the feathers around the area can help, both to let you see what you are doing, and to help keep it cleaner. A small oral syringe may work best for flushing out the wound, I use them a lot for that. If you can get some clear pictures of the area you are referring to, where it runs under the skin, it might be helpful. You are doing great, and everything you can. Fingers crossed.

 

[anomala]

I really appreciate everyone's advice and support. I considered trimming feathers earlier, but a lot of the ones in the immediate area are pin feathers and newer looking feathers in different stages. I know I shouldn't cut the pin feathers but is there a way to know when they are mature enough to be safe to cut? A lot of the shafts look dark and plump still so I started second guessing.

I should have taken more photos on the last soak when it was easiest to see, I was feeling guilty about documenting the gory details that could be the end, but I know that's not helpful to her. I will take more tomorrow in the morning when I soak her next.

I believe the larvae are blowfly, which only have a 4.5 day larval cycle. Yikes. I've removed 3 sizes, the largest of which were not quite 17mm full size 3rd instar (got the majority of those in the first soak round yesterday), so maybe 4 days old. I don't know if its possible for them to have done this much damage in 4 days, I'm assuming there may have been another round that have dropped out to pupate already. But either way it is horrifying. I'm making sure to destroy every one I remove, in case they are old enough to pupate.

She wasn't super hungry this morning and wouldn't eat the egg I made and just a little feed, but chowed down on a good amount of feed, and a piece of pineapple I hand fed, later in the day.

 

[anomala]

In thinking about this last night, based on the number of large maggots I have removed (30+ probably, most of which I got in the first long soak) and the size of the wound (assuming there isn't a giant under skin space), it is probably entirely possible this wound happened in the space of the approx 4.5 day cycle, with smaller ones that hatched a day or two behind, and the tiniest one I saw yesterday (only one I saw, but so small there could have been more) probably hatching since I started treatments. This does not ease my paranoia about this happening again, that we can go from fine to devastating wound in that short amount of time, or how much worse it would have been even a day or two later. I was checking butts last night with a headlamp. I guess with all things chicken, I am learning again the minute you see something off its already an emergency.

When I went out to check this morning and offer breakfast, she clucked at me (the 'i find you vaguely agitating but not enough to sound an alarm' cluck, which is a normal one for her). She was standing with her tail up in a fully normal stance, and ate a good amount of feed and a little arugula. This is the closest to normal behavior I've seen so far, so feeling good that she is at least seeming to be feeling a lot better at the moment.

I've been reaching out to find some folks who have been to the chicken vet to see whats available in my area, if they are any good, and try to get a sense of the cost involved. I'm guessing, based on the local prices for cat and dog care (they have nearly tripled in my area in the last 6-7 years, I know they are probably skyrocketing everywhere) it is probably not on the table for us, but trying to find out just in case. I know it's not necessarily a good gauge because the birds could have been a lot farther gone, but was also feeling discouraged by how many people posted on the Chicken Chicks article on flystrike that their vets just recommended they put the animal down.

 

[AntiqueB]

I'm glad she's feeling better. I think she will survive as long as you keep at it for another day or so. I didn't have the heart to debride my girl's wound, and she was still ok. The Blukote stops the others from pecking.

I agree that flystrike happens fast. The chicken it happened to also has a poopy butt, and always has. It's impossible to keep clean all the time, but now I pay special attention to her rear during fly season. Really, the only reason I found it at all is because she came to me, and I saw others pecking her. I suspect the flies themselves didn't make such a large wound; much was from being pecked.

 

[coach723]

Glad your hen is looking better. Flystrike can happen pretty fast. Flies lay 100's if not 1000's of eggs, so when they hatch, they can do an enormous amount of damage pretty quickly. Sometimes older birds have "lazy" cloaca's that can make it harder for them to push droppings out which can lead to messy butts and flystrike. Also runny droppings (internal parasites, drinking a lot in warm weather, etc) can do it. And older hens that may have an underlying reproductive problem can also have trouble pushing droppings out, leading to the dirty butts. I understand about the vet issue, many don't have a vet that will see a chicken at all or know a thing about them, and many are cost prohibitive. And many simply don't really take chickens seriously. I've actually been laughed at for asking. So, many of us just do the best we can with what we can get, and go from there. On the upside, they are pretty resilient and survive some pretty horrible stuff sometimes, with a little help. Sounds like she's on the mend, just continue what you are doing.