Having mini strokes

[LittlePip21]

My six year old hen is having mini strokes. She wrenches her head back and tenses up, then relaxes. She's been quite the past few weeks and roosting lower. She's very thin except for her abdomen. What should I do?

 

[LittlePip21]

Hey, she just passed away, but she was in my arms any ideas? She passed poopy water all over

 

[HuskerHens18]

I wonder if you have any parasites? Are any other chickens thin or passing weird poops?

I'm very sorry you lost her

 

[LittlePip21]

I have a lice infestation that I can't get rid of, I've tried seven and permethrin, that spray stuff you buy in the feed store, dawn dish soap, wood ash.. I even had the vet take a sample but they didn't have any advice. Would external parasites cause seizures? Or maybe I should be deworming them. They all have watery poop, but act completely fine. No highly unusual weight loss from any of the others. I've checked their poop and can't find any eggs or worms, but it's still very possible. I've kinda given up on the lice thing, i tried dusting them every day, every three days, if anyone has advice I would love to here it! And thank you @HuskerHens18 i feel better knowing she died with me.

 

[HuskerHens18]

I have a lice infestation that I can't get rid of, I've tried seven and permethrin, that spray stuff you buy in the feed store, dawn dish soap, wood ash.. I even had the vet take a sample but they didn't have any advice. Would external parasites cause seizures? Or maybe I should be deworming them. They all have watery poop, but act completely fine. No highly unusual weight loss from any of the others. I've checked their poop and can't find any eggs or worms, but it's still very possible. I've kinda given up on the lice thing, i tried dusting them every day, every three days, if anyone has advice I would love to here it! And thank you @HuskerHens18 i feel better knowing she died with me.

I use Ivermectin pour-on for my chickens. It kills both external and internal parasites. You use like 6 drops for standard sized adult chickens on the back of their necks, directly on their skin. I've used it 2 years and never had a problem. There's a 2 week egg withdrawal period I think.
Then I suggest using either your permethrin or spray stuff from the feed store and dust the coop. Even in the nesting boxes. Then repeat in a week I believe is recommended. Repeat ivermectin in 14 days.

If lice are anything like mites, they live in your coop and hop on your birds. So if you just kill the ones on your birds, the ones in the coop will just hop on the next day and they're infested all over again.
I have NEVER had lice, so if someone else comes and gives different advice, listen to them. This is what I would do if I found lice on my chickens.

 

[LittlePip21]

Thanks for the feedback! I will try Ivermectin. I have scrubbed their entire coop before, but I suspect it's from the wild birds that roost in the bushes and drink out of the waterers. Lice can be transmitted from wild birds to chickens I've read, but if the stuff you mentioned works on internal and external parasites, then it might keep them at bay. Thanks for the help!

 

[chickens really]

Hmmm?
@casportpony

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry for your loss.
Unfortunately, without further testing and/necropsy there is now way to know the cause of death in your hen. If you still have the body, you can refrigerate it and send it to your state lab. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

Are you cleaning out your coop/nesting boxes and treating that and your roosts with Permethrin or are you just treating the birds? You need to do both. For lice, you want to repeat treatment in 7-10days, if you have a heavy infestation you may need to treat multiple times. (chickens and housing each time)

Can you take some poop samples to your vet for testing of worms?

 

[chickens really]

I'm sorry for your loss.
Unfortunately, without further testing and/necropsy there is now way to know the cause of death in your hen. If you still have the body, you can refrigerate it and send it to your state lab. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/nahln/downloads/all_nahln_lab_list.pdf

Are you cleaning out your coop/nesting boxes and treating that and your roosts with Permethrin or are you just treating the birds? You need to do both. For lice, you want to repeat treatment in 7-10days, if you have a heavy infestation you may need to treat multiple times. (chickens and housing each time)

Can you take some poop samples to your vet for testing of worms?

Sorry I should of thought of you too...I had poop on my brain so instantly thought of her...

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Sorry I should of thought of you too...I had poop on my brain so instantly thought of her...

LOL no worries! Kathy always has better info than I do anyways