Lice crawling on chicken

[humblehillsfarm]

Last night I was getting a good snuggle session on with my sweet Brahma, Burrito, when I noticed little white bugs crawling on her waddles, eyelids, and within the short feathers on her head.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tLb0LByAkcE?feature=share

I had already dusted her and massaged poultry dust until her feathers before filing the bugs. Look closely around her ear and waddle and you will see them. I treated the whole flock with poultry dust last night. I cleaned out the nest boxes last night and dusted them, and dusted the bedding. Unfortunately I don’t have the money to replace all of the bedding right now. It takes about four bags of pine shavings to fill the coop.

I’ve had a hen, a heritage leghorn, who stopped laying at least a month ago and she seems to lay down more often than others. Now I’m wondering if she’s experiencing a live overload. I sure hope that is the case. I lost another hen that got rapidly ill and lethargic with no outward indications (that I could see) of what her illness could be.

 

[DobieLover]

Last night I was getting a good snuggle session on with my sweet Brahma, Burrito, when I noticed little white bugs crawling on her waddles, eyelids, and within the short feathers on her head.

https://youtube.com/shorts/tLb0LByAkcE?feature=share

I had already dusted her and massaged poultry dust until her feathers before filing the bugs. Look closely around her ear and waddle and you will see them. I treated the whole flock with poultry dust last night. I cleaned out the nest boxes last night and dusted them, and dusted the bedding. Unfortunately I don’t have the money to replace all of the bedding right now. It takes about four bags of pine shavings to fill the coop.

I’ve had a hen, a heritage leghorn, who stopped laying at least a month ago and she seems to lay down more often than others. Now I’m wondering if she’s experiencing a live overload. I sure hope that is the case. I lost another hen that got rapidly ill and lethargic with no outward indications (that I could see) of what her illness could be.

Did the poultry dust you used contain permethrin?
If it did and you dusted the flock last night, check them again tonight for lice. They should be gone.
As for the LH, have you checked her crop function and her abdomen for signs of ascites?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Did the poultry dust you used contain permethrin?
If it did and you dusted the flock last night, check them again tonight for lice. They should be gone.
As for the LH, have you checked her crop function and her abdomen for signs of ascites?

Yes it contained permethrin.

As for the LH, I kept forgetting to grab her at night for the last week, but during the day I’d visually observe a normal to small crop size. Last night when I grabbed her I didn’t check her crop but did feel around her rear and had my hand on her chest (just to hold her, I wasn’t feeling around her crop with the intent to remember what I felt). Her rear, if anything, just felt boney. I can’t recall when the crop was like but I think I would have noticed if I put my hand on a big squishy crop. Her comb is a perky bright red and looks very healthy. I’ll try to check more thoroughly tonight. I have something like 32 chickens now and there’s been a lot going on to divert my focus

 

[DobieLover]

I have something like 32 chickens now and there’s been a lot going on to divert my focus

I know the feeling.
She may be laying internally or having another reproductive issue. I lost both my WLHs to some sort of reproductive disorder. Both had ascites and stopped laying. The first one I lost when she was about 20 months old. The second when she was about 25 months old.
When they are on their way out, I monitor for quality of life and when it looks like the scales have tipped out of their favor, I have them euthanized.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I know the feeling.
She may be laying internally or having another reproductive issue. I lost both my WLHs to some sort of reproductive disorder. Both had ascites and stopped laying. The first one I lost when she was about 20 months old. The second when she was about 25 months old.
When they are on their way out, I monitor for quality of life and when it looks like the scales have tipped out of their favor, I have them euthanized.

I meant to ask for clarification in my first response. Ascites is fluid, right?

I can’t help but to worry whatever caused my barred rock to get sick is what could be affecting my leghorn. She doesn’t lay like commercial leghorns do so I was hoping there was a lower risk for reproductive issues.

This leghorn is about two years old though. I think they hatched in May.

 

[DobieLover]

Ascites is fluid, right?

Yes.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Yes.

I’ll do a more thorough check on her tonight. I just hope it was a live overload that’s slowing her down.

 

[LaFleche]

Unfortunately I don’t have the money to replace all of the bedding right now. It takes about four bags of pine shavings to fill the coop.

I would prefer to have a clean and mite free bedding, if I was a chicken, and would give not importance to the layer of bedding not being as thick as usual.