I had to kill my prized hen today because of maggots!!!

[dwegg]

I am horrified, embarrassed, sickened, and very very sad today as when I got home I noticed my cochin did not move to come out to free range. I went to pat her and noticed her whole vent area was literally gone! and what seemed to be blood all over back feathers.

A long story short she was infested with maggots around the opened wound. Yesterday I noticed all the flies on her rump, but being inexperienced thought it was just because of her having a bit of pasty butt (sometimes she has that but the next day she is clean so I thought nothing of it as she has a lot of feathers around there).

Then when I put them to bed I saw my orpington was perched under her on the ladder run down and thought that she was going to get pooped on if she didn't move.

What I think happened was that if she had flies lay maggots in the poop on her feathers, then my orp. saw them while roosting under her and pecked at them and opened a wound. Then during the day the others either pecked at the maggots and/or at the vent area and wound.

She literally was torn open, I mean no vent skin or anything and there were maggots in the wound, in her skin..it made me sick.

It think it must have not long happened as she was still alert ect. I rushed her insde and bathed her in medicated dog shampoo and tried to spray some 'blue antiseptic' on it but I knew that I couldn't get them all off her.

I quickly went and got the axe and chopped her head off? I am a city boy and this is the first thing that has every happened like that.

I am shocked at the events and that I am such a bad chicken keeper and that this sort of thing could have even happened. She was my fancy big girl and exspensive to boot.

I am sorry Diva. R.I.P....

 

[Break an Egg]

I am so sorry. I would have done the same thing. I wouldn't want any animal under my care to suffer that.

 

[PamB]

I'm SO sorry about your chicken. You sound like you really cared about her.

 

[Chick named Lola]

I'm so sorry that happened. It must have been a very difficult thing to do. It sounds like you did what you did to end her suffering because you loved her and that was the kindest thing to do.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I am so, so sorry

 

[Candiss]

I had a rooster get an eye infection and get maggots, since his eye was already practically gone, I poured peroxide on it and rinsed with warm water and repeated this and the maggots came out. That was in July, and he is doing fine.

You sound very sad and I am sorry for this too. She was a real beauty. FLYS SUCK....

Candace

 

[LALASD4]

Well, I have not seen maggots on chickens but I have seen doctors use maggots on humans to eat away dead fresh and heal infections, I don't know what the wound looks like and it might not look good but maggots might not be all bad if they are eating the dead fresh and stopping the infection.

 

[jerseygirl1]

Ronald A. Sherman, MD
"....While it is true that the species used to make medical grade maggots are found in the wild, so too are thousands of other species; and not all species are safe and effective. In fact, the literature suggests that not all strains of the same species are equally safe and effective. What’s more, wild maggots may carry pathogens even more harmful than the ones already on the wound.

 

[LALASD4]

I am not saying to put maggots on chickens.

What I am saying is that the maggots might not be hurting the chicken, the infection is, just clean it up and put it in isolation and see what happens in a few days.

 

[PeakyBeaky]

I'm so sorry. My friend told me the way she does it...she uses car exhaust and they just fall asleep.