Hen - Occasional eye bubbles, stopped laying, change in comb

[dmanhefner]

That is fowl pox, will get better on its own your other birdsay get it. It is transported by mosquitoes.

 

[Snow bunny]

From what we can see they don't fight at all, and (as best we could tell) she was the boss from the start, and much more likely to be the agressor. The black that was left after we gave it a good clean was more like the comb itself than any kind of scab.

They are definately tick fleas, 100% tick fleas. Nothing else but tick fleas. I would not give someone false information. If you do not do anything about this situation the chicken will eventually die of starvation and blood loss. AlexChat has been given the right information for his situation. Many people say that it is caused by the sun, pecks, just some dirt etc. Think of the chook in question. Do not confuse this issue unless you want responsibility for new chook parents to loose their entire stock through something like this. If you have not been through this situation you do not know the devestation that it can cause and all the hard work that goes with it to put it right.

 

[enola]

Snowbunny, I think we would all like to see some links to information on the tick fleas. I am not familiar with them, thank goodness. The one article that I could find, states that flea ticks do not live on the chicken's body. They hide in dark places in the coop and spend short periods of time feeding on the chicken before leaving the chicken and and hiding again.

 

[Snow bunny]

Hi Enola, I will give you all the information that I have about tick fleas. You are right about the fleas living in the coop, but I must add that they live on the chooks too. My Uncle is a chook farmer here is Aus, and I have had chooks all my life and was brought up with them. Tick fleas are so tiny and they lay flat, and they look like smudge marks, usually on the comb first. The wattle is usually next, the eye lids and ears follow that and then they appear at the base of the beak. The chook looks like it is wearing black eye shadow. When you see that, the tick fleas have been feasting on the poor chook. They CAN also appear on the top of the leg and on the bottom of the feet. The longer you leave them, the weaker the chook gets and she will eventually die. I have seen first hand of the devestation these things do to a chook and a whole flock if you don't know what to do. The fleas can cause the chook to mimic Marek's, so this can cause confusion. If you think a chook has Marek's, look for the tick fleas first. The only way to treat these is by applying vaseline to suffocate them, you clean it off after an hour and repeat until the fleas have gone,and a good chook flea powder for the feathers and to fumigate the entire chook house - twice. I am treating my friends chooks with the same condition at the moment. Plus I am trying to find out if Kitten flea treatment can possibly be used on chooks, so that these ****** fleas can be controlled better. When I saw that chook on AlexChat's pictures, I knew straight away what it was and if you can get to it quickly you can stop it easier. I later showed my Uncle the pictures and he also said straightaway, 'He's got tick fleas, have you passed on the treatment'. Of course I did. Anything that I post on here to help people is through knowledge. I hope that my knowledge and experience will help others. If you think of it, where the tick fleas are on the chooks can be constituted as dark areas, apart from the comb. By the way, the fleas can change the appearance of the comb as it sucks the blood out of it.

 

[enola]

I was expecting some information based on University studies on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these parasites. I would really like to read some scientific information somewhere besides on a chicken site or blog. I am not doubting your extensive experience or knowledge. I am doubting your diagnosis.

I also do not intend to insult or offend you in any way. I have been accused of being tactless.

 

[Snow bunny]

Hey Enola, do not worry, I am going to send links so that everyone can go and see what this is about. It will be backed up OK.

 

[enola]

Thank you!

 

[Snow bunny]

Hi enola, there is nothing apart from blogs and most of them are on this site. But, I will be perfectly honest with you, they are talking about stick tight fleas. These are not the same as tick fleas, as the stick tights are brownish red instead of black. I Googled tick fleas on chickens but when I look down the list, there are stick tight fleas. I am so sorry that I cannot back myself up with scientific things for you, but please don't doubt my diagnosis, although you are entitled to - I know. I will ask my Uncle if he has anything on it that I can post to you. I understand you as I have a friend who needs to see scientific evidence instead of accepting knowledge passed down and knowing through experience. I just know that it is tick flea that AlexChat's chook has got. My friends thought that their chooks has sun scorch and they were quite adamant about it. It wasn't until I treated their chooks and showed them what came off of their chooks, did they back down. So, what I am saying is that it is quite common where knowledge and experience is not accepted until proven. I wouldn't call you tactless, you have a right to ask for evidence, I just cannot give it. Unless I actually post a chook with the condition to you direct, but I can assure you it would be dead before it got to you (joking). I am sure that most of us on here are speaking through knowledge and experience though. But I will post back to you if my Uncle has anything that is useful OK.

 

[casportpony]

Hi enola,  there is nothing apart from blogs and most of them are on this site.  But, I will be perfectly honest with you, they are talking about stick tight fleas.  These are not the same as tick fleas, as the stick tights are brownish red instead of black.  I Googled tick fleas on chickens but when I look down the list, there are stick tight fleas.  I am so sorry that I cannot back myself up with scientific things for you, but please don't doubt my diagnosis, although you are entitled to - I know.  I will ask my Uncle if he has anything on it that I can post to you.  I understand you as I have a friend who needs to see scientific evidence instead of accepting knowledge passed down and knowing through experience.  I just know that it is tick flea that AlexChat's chook has got.  My friends thought that their chooks has sun scorch and they were quite adamant about it.  It wasn't until I treated their chooks and showed them what came off of their chooks, did they back down.  So, what I am saying is that it is quite common where knowledge and experience is not accepted until proven.  I wouldn't call you tactless, you have a right to ask for evidence, I just cannot give it.  Unless I actually post a chook with the condition to you direct, but I can assure you it would be dead before it got to you (joking).  I am sure that most of us on here are speaking through knowledge and experience though.  But I will post back to you if my Uncle has anything that is useful OK.

I'd be happy if you could tell us the scientific name for this bug.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

That is fowl pox, will get better on its own your other birdsay get it. It is transported by mosquitoes.

How common is fowl pox in the UK this time of year?

-Kathy