Lame hen - need guidance please

[thenovicehen]

A little back story first: New to chicken keeping; got our flock of four 5-6mo old pullets in April. About a month ago, I brought one of my hens (Tina) inside because she was keeping one eye closed and isolating herself. It was a little crusty and cloudy so flushed her eye with saline and applied antibiotic eye ointment to the affected eye. We also did VetRx in case it was respiratory related. The eye hasn’t gotten worse but hasn’t gotten much better either. Cloudiness has cleared though. Last week, I made a huge dust bath in the run and dusted my whole flock with DE. I also ordered poultry spray (which arrived last night).

A couple of days ago, I noticed Tina sitting down more when she’s outside in her own run. As of yesterday, she’s barely standing at all. Only enough to inch to the water and food. She feels really skinny and her comb is pale. She still wants to eat and drink. My guess based on reading articles upon articles and searching through the forums here, that she has become anemic from the parasites. What steps do I need to take to get her back on her feet?

 

[saysfaa]

If she has enough parasites to be anemic to that extent - it is going to take more than DE to help her. Even if DE helps in any case.

I assume you think it is external parasites (from the dust bath), so treating the coop as well as the chickens is probably going to be needed. I don't know enough about that to do more than kinda point you in the direction. Do you know what parasites you are dealing with? I would start there. Or with what is most likely to help regardless of what kind (cleaning the coop thoroughly, whitewashing or painting maybe, checking the basics like feed, water, space, ventilation, and such).

 

[thenovicehen]

It was lice and roundworms. I don’t remember if I played this before or after finding the roundworms. She’s doing much better! I got poultry dust with permethrin for the lice and fenbendazole for the roundworms. Been feeding her extra proteins and goodies and help her strengthen her body and put weight back on. She’s walking and able to roost again!

 

[thenovicehen]

We’ve had another slope in her recovery. Not eating much. Her poop looks like she’s not eating or digesting. No more lice and completed both cycles of worm med. I just want her to thrive again.