HELP PLEASE!!!

[thing1thingvu]

I don't know what is happening to my Easter Egger....anyone out there have any insight?

 

[Shido Burrito]

Are there any other chickens in the coop with her? Have you seen any of them picking on her lately? How do her droppings look? Separate her from the rest of the flock for a few days and keep an eye on her. Rule out that it is any type of disease. If its not, then reintroduce her to the flock and see if they start pecking at her again.

 

[thing1thingvu]

She does have three others in her flock. I have never seen them picking on her or fighting, if anything they kind of ignore her. How should we separate her if we only have one coop?

 

[Shido Burrito]

A dog crate or wire crate would be fine. Or extra crate you can make with wire. Someplace where she can have access to her own food and water and a bit of shelter. It doesn't have to be that big. The fact that they ignore her might mean she's already at the bottom of the pecking order. Give them something to do, or play, or scratch at. They might be bored. Boredom often leads to hens pecking at each other, and the one lowest in the pecking order is usually the first to get it. Try giving them a head of lettuce on a string or throw some treats in the run area for them to hunt and scratch for.

 

[thing1thingvu]

How long should I keep them separated for?

 

[Shido Burrito]

Hmmmm, that I do not know. I'd say start with a week. It takes a couple weeks for feathers to grow back. How are your chickens acting? Is everyone clear-eyed and eating? Droppings look ok? I'm certainly no expert. Definitely do some searching here on BYC about any symptoms your chicken has. Maybe some others' experiences will be similar to yours! Best of luck! I hope it's just a bored chicken picking on your little hen.

 

[thing1thingvu]

Upon inspection by our local feed store, they concluded she may have lice. Do we quarantine her as we do her treatment?

 

[Eggcessive]

No need to quarantine, since the others probably have it too. Dust her with 5% sevin dust or permethrin all over except near the eyes and beak. Some use a nylon stocking containing dust to dab, or put the powder in a pillow case along with chicken and gather it around the neck. The coop and nest boxes need to be emptied , and the litter bagged and taken far away. Then a spray such as Permectrin II or Ravap can be used to spray roosts, walls, and floor before adding new shavings. Repeat the dusting in 10 days for lice eggs, and recheck 10 days later for lice. Here's a link: http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html