Looking for some advice on how to care for our sick hen right now and insight as to how worried we should/should not be. I have helped others care for their chickens in the past, but I inherited these 3 chickens this fall at my new living situation and am having a lot of new experiences as a first-time chicken owner.
A week ago we noticed that one of our chickens in particular (a 3-4 year-old hen.. sorry I don't know the breed) had a messy bum with dried stool. my partner gave her a bath and quickly found out she also had an abundance of lice with visible eggsacks at the base of her feathers. She has been lethargic for a few weeks-- wandering around during the day with the flock, but not as active as them. Three days ago we noticed she looked more lethargic. After more reading, we got serious about treating the lice and-- on closer inspection noticed she had mites as well. We bathed her again and when she was dry dusted her (and the other two hens-- who are 2 years old, and still plucky and happy) with food-grade diatomaceous earth.
That same day (three days ago) we started isolating her for feeding and have been giving her dried fly larva, peas, organic raw pumpkin seeds, and spinach to boost her protein and iron and help her recover from probable anemia caused by lice and mites. (She has a pale comb and wattle relative to the others, and her lower eyelid is almost white.) She has enjoyed eating this, but has still been lethargic. Today we added some electolytes to her water and dusted her with DE a second time.
Yesterday we had also been reading about stool-indicators of worm infestations. It seemed likely she has an infestation of hair worms. We treated her last night (around 7pm) with a drop of fenbendazole diluted in a syringe of filtered water administered orally.
Today she seems even more lethargic. She is still eating and drinking, but is resting, standing for long stretches with her eyes closed before waking and resuming eating. When she does eat she looks pretty alert-- she always likes to eat the fly larvae first, and then the peas, and her aim has been dead on, but after a few minutes she slows down again. Wings are still drooping and when she closes her eyes her head begins to droop. Right now she has her beak tucked under her wing and looks to be getting some legitimate sleep. She is currently isolated from the flock in her kennel in front of a window at ground-level with a nice broad ray of sunshine peaking in which she seems to favor.
Stool: not too much of it this morning Green, normal texture -- no diarrea today-- but in little logs, not balls. We collected some in a container.
Typical living conditions are a smallish wood henhouse up on legs with two perchs and 3 layer boxes, all lined with wood shavings. The henhouse is surrounded by a 7'-10' coop with an all-natural wood-chip substrate (refreshed about a month ago.) in the run there is a bin with a mix of play sand/diatomaceous earth available for bathing-- but now that I think of it I am not sure if I have ever seen them use it. (It was part of a setup left by the previous owners and the hens may have outgrown it?) During the day we let the chickens out to roam the fenced backyard where they peck, scratch, and sunbathe.
Typical feed is layer mash, appropriate vegetable scraps, dried black fly larvae for treats (especially in winter, since there are fewer bugs to be had.)
Basically, I just don't know how worried we should be... what to do next... I am worried we may have made her more sick by simultaneously treating for worms-- or that the worm die-off may be affecting her energy levels and appetite? Also, is it good to keep her isolated away from the flock indoors where it is quieter/warmer or should we try to put the kennel she is in out in the run over night/during the day so as to not disrupt the pecking order (She is typically the top)? (Overnight temps in the mid 20's, and daytime in the mid 50's, then mid 40's for the next few days.)
Any advice is much appreciated. I have been scouring the internet and it is exhausting. We don't have much money to pay for vet bills and are hoping to do everything we can at home.
A week ago we noticed that one of our chickens in particular (a 3-4 year-old hen.. sorry I don't know the breed) had a messy bum with dried stool. my partner gave her a bath and quickly found out she also had an abundance of lice with visible eggsacks at the base of her feathers. She has been lethargic for a few weeks-- wandering around during the day with the flock, but not as active as them. Three days ago we noticed she looked more lethargic. After more reading, we got serious about treating the lice and-- on closer inspection noticed she had mites as well. We bathed her again and when she was dry dusted her (and the other two hens-- who are 2 years old, and still plucky and happy) with food-grade diatomaceous earth.
That same day (three days ago) we started isolating her for feeding and have been giving her dried fly larva, peas, organic raw pumpkin seeds, and spinach to boost her protein and iron and help her recover from probable anemia caused by lice and mites. (She has a pale comb and wattle relative to the others, and her lower eyelid is almost white.) She has enjoyed eating this, but has still been lethargic. Today we added some electolytes to her water and dusted her with DE a second time.
Yesterday we had also been reading about stool-indicators of worm infestations. It seemed likely she has an infestation of hair worms. We treated her last night (around 7pm) with a drop of fenbendazole diluted in a syringe of filtered water administered orally.
Today she seems even more lethargic. She is still eating and drinking, but is resting, standing for long stretches with her eyes closed before waking and resuming eating. When she does eat she looks pretty alert-- she always likes to eat the fly larvae first, and then the peas, and her aim has been dead on, but after a few minutes she slows down again. Wings are still drooping and when she closes her eyes her head begins to droop. Right now she has her beak tucked under her wing and looks to be getting some legitimate sleep. She is currently isolated from the flock in her kennel in front of a window at ground-level with a nice broad ray of sunshine peaking in which she seems to favor.
Stool: not too much of it this morning Green, normal texture -- no diarrea today-- but in little logs, not balls. We collected some in a container.
Typical living conditions are a smallish wood henhouse up on legs with two perchs and 3 layer boxes, all lined with wood shavings. The henhouse is surrounded by a 7'-10' coop with an all-natural wood-chip substrate (refreshed about a month ago.) in the run there is a bin with a mix of play sand/diatomaceous earth available for bathing-- but now that I think of it I am not sure if I have ever seen them use it. (It was part of a setup left by the previous owners and the hens may have outgrown it?) During the day we let the chickens out to roam the fenced backyard where they peck, scratch, and sunbathe.
Typical feed is layer mash, appropriate vegetable scraps, dried black fly larvae for treats (especially in winter, since there are fewer bugs to be had.)
Basically, I just don't know how worried we should be... what to do next... I am worried we may have made her more sick by simultaneously treating for worms-- or that the worm die-off may be affecting her energy levels and appetite? Also, is it good to keep her isolated away from the flock indoors where it is quieter/warmer or should we try to put the kennel she is in out in the run over night/during the day so as to not disrupt the pecking order (She is typically the top)? (Overnight temps in the mid 20's, and daytime in the mid 50's, then mid 40's for the next few days.)
Any advice is much appreciated. I have been scouring the internet and it is exhausting. We don't have much money to pay for vet bills and are hoping to do everything we can at home.
