Last call for Penny the Pekin with mystery skin ailment

[Mandrogora]

I have had some isssues with my pekin losing feathers in the same area. Her skin was red and irritated but not raw. I treated the coop and all the birds for mites after seeing what I thought were red mites in the coop this summer. Her skin looked better within days of treatment and her feathers started filling in not too long after.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

If you decide to give her the last call, well, that'll be too bad & a sad day for all. It's not an easy decision to come to & I know that you don't take it lightly.

I'd maybe try to get a skin scrape & culture done if that's a feasible option. You're not going to be sure about treatment (& more importantly for future birds, prevention) if you don't.

Did the Colloidal Silver ointment/cream not do anything? That's a pretty broad spectrum anti-viral. Have you tried Colloidal Silver liquid & giving it mixed in smaller amount of food (to guarantee it's ingested)? You can put the liquid right on the skin, too.

"Nature's Path" brand, 'Silver Wings Colloidal Silver 500ppm" (parts per million) is my recommendation. Available on-line directly from company (because no, all "colloidal silver" products are not the same. This is what the cheaper 'advertised as' Colloidal Silver junk WISHES it was...but isn't.)

 

[CoriM]

I have had some isssues with my pekin losing feathers in the same area. Her skin was red and irritated but not raw. I treated the coop and all the birds for mites after seeing what I thought were red mites in the coop this summer. Her skin looked better within days of treatment and her feathers started filling in not too long after.

Did you take any pictures? Did her skin ever bleed? I will look into this, thank you.

 

[CoriM]

Can I ask specifically what you used to treat for mites? I haven't seen any evidence of this on her, and I look pretty carefully every day or two, as I've been spraying the raw areas.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Mandrogora

 

[Mandrogora]

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. She did have some bleeding. She had dark, black looking spots close to the skin but once I looked closely it was actually dried blood. It was much more noticeable as bleeding after bathing when it looked more red. I never saw any mites on her or any of the birds. The type I believe I saw were red mites. I saw them crawling on an egg and beneath some wood shavings. They live in the coop not on the birds themselves, and come out to feed when it is dark. I treated all the birds and the coop with permethrin spray. I then repeated in ten days.
I used these threads for administration and diluting info:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/permethrin-10.1250699/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/permethrin-spray.1134783/

Note that there is different dilution for spraying the animal and spraying the coop. It is also toxic to cats so use caution if you have them around.

 

[Mama_Owl_3]

Sorry, I didn't take any pictures. She did have some bleeding. She had dark, black looking spots close to the skin but once I looked closely it was actually dried blood. It was much more noticeable as bleeding after bathing when it looked more red. I never saw any mites on her or any of the birds. The type I believe I saw were red mites. I saw them crawling on an egg and beneath some wood shavings. They live in the coop not on the birds themselves, and come out to feed when it is dark. I treated all the birds and the coop with permethrin spray. I then repeated in ten days.
I used these threads for administration and diluting info:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/permethrin-10.1250699/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/permethrin-spray.1134783/

Note that there is different dilution for spraying the animal and spraying the coop. It is also toxic to cats so use caution if you have them around.

Thank you for this info, I haven't had any problems yet, but like to try and be informed before a problem rears its ugly head.

I hope things work out!

 

[Raenh]

How toxic is it to cats? Would I be able to use it then air out and it be safe for cats to be in coop if they wander in it? I'm asking because I'm building Fort Duck Knox again and noticed a number of bugs in the wood and I want to treat it before I finish it so I don't have problems later. Not even sure what to use...

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Raenh @casportpony may know the answer to your question

 

[KaleIAm]

I'm sorry to hear Penny and Puddles still aren't doing well. I'm very attached to my ducks as well.

My pekin had mites, which caused little black scabs but not big bleeding wounds. My vet actually noticed them, and prescribed ivermectin. Which is OTC.

If you can, I would do a skin scraping or even a biopsy. Can you separate them from any other ducks?