Hen not eating/drinking, has worms in her smelly poop - help!

[Chicken Strut]

I found this online, discussing flystrike in rabbits. I wonder if this is what I am smelling:

Many myasis-causing species secrete ammonia and other substances to facilitate cell death and decomposition; these might have toxic effects on the [chickens] as well. In some cases, the wound may be foul, like an open bedsore in a human.

 

[Chicken Strut]

OK, I will keep you updated! I think tomorrow will be a day of baths for Cleo!

 

[Eggcessive]

Will look in tomorrow for more news. Here are a few more BYC threads about flystrike:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...y-tale-with-graphic-photo-progression.712322/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-hole-below-vent-fly-strike-confirmed.832417/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ystrike-what-caused-this-graphic-pics.881612/

 

[dawg53]

Definitely fly strike with possible vent gleet.

 

[WVduckchick]

OK, I will keep you updated! I think tomorrow will be a day of baths for Cleo!

I’ve only dealt with one hen with flystrike or some type of maggots/bugs. Oddly, her name was Cleo also! After cleaning her up, i used permethrin on her. Separated her for a few days, checked everyone else, cleaned and sprayed the coop, and sprayed her a few times over a few days and she healed just fine. Never another case of it.

 

[micstrachan]

I agree you have a fly strike situation on your hands. You need to clean off ALL the poop and get a good look at what damage the maggots may have done and whether they’ve breached her body cavity. My understanding is you need to remove the maggots, not kill them with poison, as they can rot inside her and cause other problems. But let’s see how she looks under poop. You may need to trim feathers to see what’s going on.

 

[Chicken Strut]

She ate a bit in the night and drank quite a bit of the Nutridrench water. Today will be a day of long soaks, picking off maggots wearing my surgical gloves, and using the hair dryer to get her butt dry again. Don't tell me you don't envy me! Thanks SO much for all the help. I wouldn't have treated for maggots since I was convinced I was seeing tapeworm segments. I didn't even know that maggots on a chicken's butt were a thing!

 

[deepbluesea]

Yep, it's super glamorous work. I had a hen--also named Cleo, btw!-get a bad case of it overnight earlier this summer. That's one of the nastiest things I've ever dealt with, for sure. She recovered well, though, and now I just keep her butt feathers cut and spray blu-cote on the area. I hope yours does, as well!

 

[Chicken Strut]

@deepbluesea: Moral of the story: if you have named a hen Cleo, watch her butt for flystrike problems! That's 3 Cleos we know of so far in this thread.

 

[Chicken Strut]

OK, she's had her first bath of the day - I let her soak for 15 minutes. About 75 maggots came off in the water (they can freakin' SWIM). Afterward I trimmed her feathers and discovered that she has vent prolapse with a large (about 1" across) shallow open wound below it. That is where the maggots are hanging out. It has a sort of rim they can duck back under, so even though I picked off 20-25 more maggots while inspecting her and drying her with the hairdryer, you can still see some in the picture. The first shows both the vent and the wound and the second focuses on the wound. HELP! Strategies? Prognosis? She is definitely acting like she's feeling better but that could just be from eating and drinking after probably going 24 hours without anything.