I'm at the end of my rope - HAPPY UPDATE!

[JestersEye]

Maybe you could use "Stall Dry" to help with both problems at the same time?

It should help absorb moisture, and help eliminate the insect infestation because it has DE in it.

 

[technodoll]

This afternoon I hung a small fan near the coop ceiling in the hopes it would push the warmer, moist air out towards the vents or at least help to dry out the stale, dusty air... Not sure if it was a good idea or not, I'll see tomorrow morning what the humidity reads on the dial.

The two coop windows are covered with frost inside and so are parts of the walls - ugh!

I'm hoping for a miracle at this point, please let the extractor fan be a good idea, please have my contractor come and install it, every passing day I'm getting more and more sick birds. I'll be happy to take a drop in coop temperature if that comes with a drop in humidity!!

ETA: I checked the flock and did not see any active lice, only nits which I suspect have been there for a while?

Thank you all for your support - this has been a heck of a week

 

[Wildsky]

I don't even know how much humidity is in my coop.

WHy are you trying to get it down, is it because of the illness?

 

[technodoll]

Yes, I have a pullet with pneumonia in the house now that I pulled from the coop yesterday, and now FOUR girls who are coughing and have nasal discharge.

Everyone was fine up until about a week ago when the siberian cold spell hit and the coop had to be closed, everything is freezing in there (food, water, young babies, eggs), the birds are miserable and everyone's getting sick.

 

[Wildsky]

I'm wondering if its not the degree of humidity but the ventilation at that time, and now they're sick they'll just keep passing it around like kids in school.

I would imagine there are hundreds of coops with high humidity and no sick birds at all - like I said I don't know what mine is, my coop is an old shed, I have very little control over the humidity. I do have control of the ventilation and leave a window open - it opens into the horse barn.

I would suggest you give them all a mulit-vitamin, and do it once a week or so, just keep giving it to them, try get them some greens/veggies to eat as well as they are probably not getting any nice grass to eat.

Don't throw out the eggs while you're worming them, cook those suckers up and feed them back to the chickens, they'll get lots of goodness from that.

Good luck, and don't stress out so much - you're doing far more than I'm doing for my chickens!

(before you remove the chickens from the nice warm house back to the coop - you'll have to let them get used to that cold again)

 

[Cornychick]

What are the temp lows & highs and humidity lately there? Are the shavings dry? Depending on how extreme the temp & wind speed, I would open every window during day light hours, possibly put it a box fan blowing out of the coop sitting in one of the windows to circulate air and leave the heat lamps on in the evenings if need be. Is the insulation in thier ceiling soaking wet? If so, just rip it out. You are in our prayers.

 

[Cornychick]

Also, forgive me if I sound nieve. I have never had to deal with lice in my birds(knock on wood). However, I am a mom and did grow up with brothers that brought home head lice from school once. Let me tell you, if it is anything like the head lice it is a very long process to eradicate. It is very possible that you have killed the infestation, but the dead nits on the feather shafts will remain until the molt. when we had head lice, we had to pull each one off of each individual hair. Ugh!!! Hang in there!

 

[technodoll]

Thanks everyone...

The coop ceiling is insulated with old pink fiberglass stuff mixed with mouse poop, sheeted with thick plastic - no idea how old that crap is. The plastic isn't wet but there is frost on the windows inside the coop.

The windows are old, big hinged affairs that are sealed shut for the winter, you can't crack them open as they let in big cold drafts.

I've explored options for this place for so long, my head is exploding.

If we weren't selling this place next summer, things would be different, we would have invested in renovating everything.

I do agree that the germs are probably being circulated around the flock now and the only way out of the mess is to get a good air exchange system in place ASAP. I'll start adding poly-vi-sol to their drinking water tomorrow. The flock gets excellent food, on top of their high-protein crumble mix I cook for them like a fiend. Lots of fresh fruit, veggies, grains, meats, seeds, grit, DE, everything.

I just want the house bird-free, the smell is terrible and DH is being patient but has limits...

Plus we're showing the house as of mid-January for the sale and CAN'T have birds blocking the main bathroom. Everyone needs to be healthy and back into that coop.

Oh well. Gotta pick up my bootstraps now, the flock is counting on me, one two freeeeezing!

 

[Wildsky]

I understand on the smell - I had to set up a dog crate on my patio for a couple of birds, the smell was horrible after just two days - I have put the birds back out in the coop - but now set up the dog crate in the garage in case I need it again. my patio is inclosed not heated, but it was nicer than being out in the coop and I could feed them well where nobody else could chase them etc..
(I have a problem with guinea's picking on the chickens, I think stopping them from getting food)

 

[miss.eggonomics]

i feel so sorry about your chickens and although i havent gone through that i feel all of your pain.

ill pray for you!