Hen not eating with maggots (fly strike) on butt

[Azeria]

Our Welsummer is about 3 years old and recently she wasn't eating so I have had to give her some food that she would actually eat every day. She as been mainly pooping out water with a bit of food. When I was feeding her I noticed maggots or maggot like bugs crawling over her behind . Its too late now but tomorrow I will wash her off and check for wounds, what else should I do for the maggots and her not eating? Right know it is humid where I live, we are feeding our hens the Blue Seal layer feed and many of our chickens have a pretty yucky butts, it is probably one of the reasons she has the maggots. Is there something we can do to prevent the poopy butts?

Thank you

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh no, do not wait around until tomorrow to soak her if you saw maggots on her. She could die from that. I would tak e her off the roost and place her in either Epsom salts and warm water or soapy water. Get every maggot off her with tweezers or whatever method. New ones may continue to hatch out overnight, so do another one early in the morning. They can get into her body.

 

[Eggcessive]

After bathing her and removing maggots, apply plain Triple Antibiotic Ointment to her bottom. Please get a picture if you can. Offer her some water with electrolytes, and some food plus a little cooked egg. Here is some reading about how to treat flysrike or maggots:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...y-tale-with-graphic-photo-progression.712322/

 

[Azeria]

Thank you, just going to get her now

 

[Eggcessive]

Flystrike in chickens can happen easily in hot weather when flies are plentiful, and they tend to lay eggs around soiled vents or a wound. Many times the chicken may have another illness that has made them vulnerable to flystrike. Reproductive disorders, or other that cause the chicken’s immunity to be compromised, or cause them to lie around a great deal, may create an ideal situation for maggot infestation. Let us know how she gets along. I will also tag @coach723 who always has good advice about that sort of thing.

 

[Azeria]

I cleaned her yesterday and took out a lot of maggots. I cleaned her again today, and only saw two maggots this morning, I'm going to wash her again later today.

This photo was from this morning

 

[Eggcessive]

Glad that the maggots were fewer, and that she is still fighting. Apparently it can take a day or two for all the maggot larvae to hatch. Some can enter the skin and cause damage inside the body. Hopefully, your early intervention has given her a good chance to recover. I would get her eating some good protein with her feed, some chopped scrambled egg, tuna, or even a canned cat food pate.