I am so entirely confused. Mites, underweight, diarrhea, maybe?

[Matilda in Dallas]

OK, quick question: Should we hold off on eating the eggs? We know she doesn't have worms and that her poop is normal when she eats broccoli, but my thinking is that we should hold off until her poop resolves. I am attaching a photo of her poop from this morning. Ugh, someone come clean it up for me? Sigh.

 

[andreanar]

Her eggs are fine to eat. I don't see anything alarming in her poop. No blood or mucus to suggest coccidosis. I think you really just need to treat her with permethrin, get her eating chicken food, get her some poultry grit and oyster shell from your nearest Tractor Supply or whatever equivalent store you have and get her a little fenced in area, cage or something so that she can hang out outside and scratch, peck and find bugs on the ground. She can go out during the day.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

OK, quick question: Should we hold off on eating the eggs? We know she doesn't have worms and that her poop is normal when she eats broccoli, but my thinking is that we should hold off until her poop resolves. I am attaching a photo of her poop from this morning. Ugh, someone come clean it up for me? Sigh. View attachment 1544321

@casportpony as our resident poo expert... how does it look to you?

 

[Matilda in Dallas]

Her eggs are fine to eat. I don't see anything alarming in her poop. No blood or mucus to suggest coccidosis. I think you really just need to treat her with permethrin, get her eating chicken food, get her some poultry grit and oyster shell from your nearest Tractor Supply or whatever equivalent store you have and get her a little fenced in area, cage or something so that she can hang out outside and scratch, peck and find bugs on the ground. She can go out during the day.

That's my plan. Of course I have an emergency at work today. Of course I do. But I am hoping to get out in time to run by the chicken supply place and get everything. And hope with me that it doesn't rain this weekend so we can finish the dang coop. She does go outside with me when I garden. It's hilarious to watch her chase grasshoppers!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I think she is fine... and maybe you aren't familiar with chicken poop?

I would be eating the eggs... and I wouldn't be throwing a ton of treatments at her... she very likely does not have coccidiosis IMO, and I wouldn't be treating her for it.

Meal worms are gonna be no different than super worm... yes they have protein but they are high in fat... and live is ALWAYS better than dry imo.

Are the birds your getting her same age?

Sounds like garden time is great! Keep it up.

 

[Fairview01]

If you build it they will come. If you only offer one type of food they will eat it when they get hungry. I've never heard of a chicken going on a hunger strike and dying of starvation.

You said the hen is laying regularly. A sick or stressed hen does not lay regularly. That's the first thing to be affected. When a bobcat starts lurking around my pens they all.but stop laying eggs.

 

[Matilda in Dallas]

You know, I wonder if she just has a really prominent breast bone. That's also a possibility. And yes, not at all familiar with chicken poop! Since we don't know how old Matilda is, we don't know if she'll be the same age as the others. Though, II am reasonably sure that they are younger.

OK: final word on treating the mites? Permethrin? This? https://www.amazon.com/Control-Solu...ID=410sgfaHPTL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch#

 

[hillbilly91]

You know, I wonder if she just has a really prominent breast bone. That's also a possibility. And yes, not at all familiar with chicken poop! Since we don't know how old Matilda is, we don't know if she'll be the same age as the others. Though, II am reasonably sure that they are younger.

OK: final word on treating the mites? Permethrin? This? https://www.amazon.com/Control-Solu...ID=410sgfaHPTL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch#

In my opinion the Adams flea and tick spray is very effective

 

[Kathy Golla]

I dont mean to put a fork in your fan, just a tip. This link you showed is a 32 oz concentrate. I dont know if you were just showing the type/brand and/or had plans to get the 32oz size (?) You'll use 1 tsp of concentrate in a 32 oz squirt bottle, fill up the squirt bottle with water. It will take you an eternity to get through that 32 oz bottle and in that time the product may lose its efficacy. I get the 8oz concentrate bottle. My suggestion is to get to know your local livestock supply store (you have one, right?). They will have an 8 oz bottle in stock.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...livestock-and-premise-spray-8-oz?cm_vc=-10005
It is unlikely you would get a bad mite or lice infestation with a small flock if you are practicing best practices and the birds have a great place to dust bathe that they like, but it is very common as mites/lice are carried by wild birds. You mention this bird doesnt have a coop, but you should get her mites under control before you put her in the coop or you'll have to manage spraying the coop also. Spray her twice at 10 day intervals. When you get your new birds if they are pullets or adults, they should be quarantined for 30 days before you introduce them to her, and you can spray them too while they are waiting. You can help avoid an infestation this way. If an infestation happened, you would have to make up a garden sprayer of permethrin and spray coop, pen and premises, but that still might only use a couple of tablespoons of the concentrate. I use some in the summer as premise spray around the pen and coop and patio to control flies, but still only use 1 tsp at a time.
Just a tip too, keep any permethrin overspray away from cats and bees, highly toxic to both of them.

 

[Kathy Golla]

I have heard that too about the Adams brand. I think some people just use the concentrate as they have large flocks and it is more cost effective. The Adams can be picked up at a lot of pet stores.