help my hens are homely looking....

[aart]

Quote: Get a higher protein feed...like a flock-raiser or all-flock or starter or grower...something with 18-20% protein.
Most of these feeds don't have enough calcium for laying birds, so having oyster shells in a separate container always available is necessary.
Learn to read the fine print of nutritional percentages on the labels sewn into the bottom of the feed bags, protein and calcium are the main concerns.

'Treats' should remain no more than 5-10% of the volume of regular feed eaten per day.

Cat food has other things that chickens really shouldn't eat, so a higher protein chicken ration is a much better choice for long term.

 

[lazy gardener]

In addition to reading feed bag labels, also learn how to decipher mill dates. Old feed does not provide the nutrition that recently milled feed does. One feed expert states that feed beyond 42 days of mill date is stale, and lacking much nutrition. I've seen local feed stores (well known ones) selling feed that is almost 3 months old. Walked away on more than one occasion without buying feed from them.

 

[calamarie]

UPDATE- My chickens seem to have poultry lice :-(. Was able to catch one and look and found these straw or flesh colored lice running around her vent.....

. So I assume that has a lot to do with everything going on and will be treating, and getting them nutritionally up to par.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Possibly mites, but like you said if they are not able to be seen or treated what would be a solution?

You can mix up some Pyrethrum in a one or two gallon pump up garden sprayer and it will work against these mites. At least it will if you get good coverage.

The mites infect the feather follicles in the same manner that human eye lash mites colonize the hair follicles on our eye lids. I also expect that mange is closely related to depluming mites.

This supposedly causes the hens and roosters to poll their own feathers out by the roots in order to get some relief.

Another way if you have a large number of birds that are easily accessed is to mix up the insecticide a dip tank. A plastic 39 gallon garbage can makes a good dip tank, and give all your birds a quick baptism in the Pyrethrum dip.

Another way is with a pour on pesticide.

Things like DE or a dust bath is quite useless when treating for depluming mites.

Besides being an insecticide Pyrethrum is a powerful insect repellant. You will get better coverage by spraying or dipping your chickens after dark.

Finally, once you are done with your poultry dip your pets. Fluffy, Spot, and Old Troop all 3 can use a little help with fleas and the mange.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

How do you bet on something that can't be proven<shrugs>haha!?

@chickengeorgeto Have you ever seen them, thru a microscope?

Perhaps you should ask how many forum members have ever seen scaly leg mites or the Fowl Pox virus?

No but I have seen pictures in a text book that were taken using an electron microscope.

Since the author of the text book wasn't hawking DE or some other Homeopathic cure I have little reason to doubt the book's authors word.

Likewise I doubt that anyone on this forum has ever seen a dust mite in their bedding despite spending 1/3 of their life layng in the bed. The forum members' life, not the dust mites' life.

 

[aart]

Quote: @chickengeorgeto
The first was a joke.
The second was a legitimate question I would love to see pics just out of curiosity

 

[azygous]

Parasites! Yuck! Double yuck!!

I had my first experience with them this year. My flock was totally infested with lice. The lice laid eggs at the base of their butt feathers and nothing would dislodge them. They were getting bald on their butts and tummies. I used the permethrin powder, but it was not as effective as I would have liked, and it was awfully messy to use.

Then I read about a product called Elector PSP insect premise control. It's a super liquid concentrate and comes in an eight ounce bottle. The price is off-putting, though, in the neighborhood of $150. But the bottle I bought will probably last for years and years.

You can spray the coops and runs and mix up a dipping solution or spray for the chickens. The wonderful thing about this is there's no egg withdrawal period. It's non-toxic. And the parasites do not return. You can get it from LivestockConcepts.com.

 

[calamarie]

​You can mix up some Pyrethrum  in a one or two gallon pump up garden sprayer and it will work against these mites.  At least it will ​if you get good coverage.   

The mites infect the feather follicles in the same manner that human eye lash mites colonize the hair follicles on our eye lids.  I also expect that mange is closely related to depluming mites.

This supposedly causes the hens and roosters to poll their own feathers out by the roots in order to get some relief.  

Another way if you have a large number of birds that are easily accessed is to mix up the insecticide a dip tank.  A plastic 39 gallon garbage can makes a good dip tank, and give all your birds a quick baptism in the Pyrethrum dip.   

Another way is with a pour on pesticide.

Things like DE or a dust bath is quite useless when treating for depluming mites. 

Besides being an insecticide Pyrethrum is a powerful insect repellant.  You will get better coverage by spraying or dipping your chickens after dark.

Finally, once you are done with your poultry dip your pets.  Fluffy, Spot, and Old Troop all 3 can use a little help with fleas and the mange.

Thank you, I had that in my hand at the feed store but put it back because I wanted to do a little planning and thinking. Dunking everyone seems to be the quickest and most affective but I'm a bit worried about how cold it's getting at night and don't want to cause another issue cause I've got all my birds wet, we are seeing 39 F in my area. Secondary I'm wondering if I need to get them submerged to their necks because I assume the lice are all over? Have you had any experience with the Elector PSP? If I do a spray I'm going to have to lift the feathers and really get down to the skin and be very thorough, correct? Yes I'm wondering if I need to treat my dog and cats too? Or if the poultry lice is just a poultry thing?

 

[calamarie]

Parasites! Yuck! Double yuck!!

I had my first experience with them this year. My flock was totally infested with lice. The lice laid eggs at the base of their butt feathers and nothing would dislodge them. They were getting bald on their butts and tummies. I used the permethrin powder, but it was not as effective as I would have liked, and it was awfully messy to use.

Then I read about a product called Elector PSP insect premise control. It's a super liquid concentrate and comes in an eight ounce bottle. The price is off-putting, though, in the neighborhood of $150. But the bottle I bought will probably last for years and years.

You can spray the coops and runs and mix up a dipping solution or spray for the chickens. The wonderful thing about this is there's no egg withdrawal period. It's non-toxic. And the parasites do not return. You can get it from LivestockConcepts.com.

Just read about that today and was going to get some, had no idea of the expense though :-(. Hmm hard to decide if I just use the chemical toxic stuff or go for the natural. I assume if 1 bird has it the whole flocks infested, darn it!