Help! I think she's going to die...

[mscherilyn]

Oh Hey! I hadn't learned that "Black Star" "Red Star" stuff before.
Thanks for the safe-guard pic. You're right! It ended the confusion! LOL. That is exactly the same thing I picked up at TSC.

As for the Sevin dusting, I am also wondering if DE is of value in this situation. Would you recommend putting it in my pen?

 

[KayTee]

There is a lot of debate about DE. Some people swear by it, others say it is a complete waste of money. After my own online research I personally I would stick with the Sevin dust and not bother with the DE.

It's often the case that lice infest a sick chicken, but you should check all your other girls over, just in case. Now you know what you're looking for they should be easier to spot.

I hope your girl shows some improvement soon.

 

[dawg53]

Sevin dust kills lice right away. DE is a waste of money, it wont kill lice right away. Also, sevin dust is cheaper. The best thing to put down in your pen is sand, 5 to 6 inches deep. Sand wont wash away like dirt, dries quicker, no more nasty mud puddles that chickens love to drink out of. Sand also deters insects and parasites, it's also easier to scoop poop. Keeping everything dry as possible is key, think beach.

 

[mscherilyn]

Thank you everyone, I will get to work on dusting the flock asap! I appreciate the advice very very much. I'll let you know how things progress here when there is news.

 

[mscherilyn]

Well, I promised feedback, so here it is.

I did not inspect the other birds for lice. I just went ahead and treated them all with Sevin. I was able to get all the birds dusted and the coup and the pens as well, however, she still needed hydration and food. She was a pitiful sight and I was surprised she was even still alive the last few days. I brought her into the house Sunday evening to start feeding and hydrating her with a dropper. I was a little hopeful when she was able to swallow and was trying very hard to do so. She actually drank a couple syringes of electrolytes and some food slurry I made. But, alas, I was obviously too late in figuring out what was wrong and how to address it. She died around midnight that very same night. I felt so sad and guilty--like such a dumb and terrible chicken owner.

On a positive note, I have learned a lot from this experience and I am ready to address the issue again head on if it arises--and it may--as I do have another chicken that just stopped laying a few days before we treated. I am wondering if she was suffering the same issue. If so, maybe my delousing will be the remedy. She still is eating and drinking and otherwise looks healthy---just no egg production still.

Thank you all for your immediate responses and invaluable advice. I am very grateful.

 

[KayTee]

It is never an easy thing to lose an animal that you care for, even if it is "only a chicken" as so many people would say. Even chickens have their own personalities, and when you keep a small backyard flock you can very quickly get attached to each and every one of them.

Don't beat yourself up about not being able to save your girl - it is extremely sad, but nothing you can do will change what happened. However, as you said, you can take a lot of positives from it - now have more knowledge and are better prepared for problems in the future. Keeping chickens is a permanent learning curve, and forums like BYC provide fantastic information and support.

With regards to your other girls, it is a good idea to spend a few minutes looking at them closely from time to time, to check for lice, mites, dirty vents etc. I also try to weigh my girls once every 4 - 6 weeks. For this I use a strong canvas bag and a luggage scale which I hang from a hook in a roof beam in the coop. I wait until roosting time, and then pick up one of the girls, put her in the bag, and hang it on the scale to weigh her. If it causes too much of a fuss amongst the others then I weigh one girl a night until they are all done.

Keeping a record of their weights means I can check that the younger girls are growing properly, and that the older girls aren't losing weight. With all their fluff and feathers it can be very difficult to spot weight loss in a chicken without handling them regularly, and since they will hide any sickness for as long as possible, it is often way too late when you finally spot the symptoms.