Lice, mites,or another issue!? Please Help!

[Ewehnes]

I have had these 10 chickens since around the 1st of May. I got them off Craiglist from someone who had quite a few too many. Well they haven't started laying and I have noticed redish area that looks irritated a few inches below their vents (vent looks fine from what I see). I Google mites/lice and now im concerned this may be what I'm dealing with. Found some links but want to be sure I'm taking the right route! I'd say 3-4 out of the 10 look pinkish to red and irritated.

 

[sylviethecochin]

That doesn't look like mites. It looks like diarrhoea.

This could have a few causes, including the stress of being shipped to their new home, diet change, or them getting used to the local cocci.

I would wash their bums with warm soapy water (a gentle kid's shampoo, dish soap, etc.) and see if the irritation clears up once the poop leaves. If washing ten chicken butts is not your thing, you could also cut the poop off, but they would have bald butts until their next moult.

 

[Ewehnes]

I have had these 10 chickens since around the 1st of May. I got them off Craiglist from someone who had quite a few too many. Well they haven't started laying and I have noticed redish area that looks irritated a few inches below their vents (vent looks fine from what I see). I Google mites/lice and now im concerned this may be what I'm dealing with. Found some links but want to be sure I'm taking the right route! I'd say 3-4 out of the 10 look pinkish to red and irritated.

@misslydia

That doesn't look like mites. It looks like diarrhoea.

This could have a few causes, including the stress of being shipped to their new home, diet change, or them getting used to the local cocci.

I would wash their bums with warm soapy water (a gentle kid's shampoo, dish soap, etc.) and see if the irritation clears up once the poop leaves. If washing ten chicken butts is not your thing, you could also cut the poop off, but they would have bald butts until their next moult.

Anything I can do after washing them up to help ease the stress? After I brought them home I gave them save a chick electrolytes and probiotic in their water? I'm concerned that haven't started laying, but more concerned that this looks irritating. They all eat, free range (during the day) and seem to drink well.

 

[HippieAtHeart]

I gave my chickens yogurt in an attempt to help their digestive tracts and I think it made a difference. Mine did have mites, but it’s hard to say if yours do, they are hard to see in person let alone through photos. The first place the mites were noticed though were on the nesting box doors when I went to collect eggs. I hope washing them helps and their rear ends start to get better soon!

 

[sylviethecochin]

@misslydia

Anything I can do after washing them up to help ease the stress? After I brought them home I gave them save a chick electrolytes and probiotic in their water? I'm concerned that haven't started laying, but more concerned that this looks irritating. They all eat, free range (during the day) and seem to drink well.

Stress from moving will keep them from laying for a while.

As for reducing the stress of this process? Catch them at night so you're not chasing anyone, and wash on a warm day. Release them with a couple handfuls of their favorite treat. Corn, mealworms, etc.

My birds usually just blow off something like being washed. Even if it does stress yours (and your flock temperament is something that you will know far better than I do) the bigger issue is that the poop could stay, attract flies, and lead to flystrike. Which is when the maggots run out of poop, and move to living tissue.

There's a space in @Miss Lydia's name.

 

[Ewehnes]

Stress from moving will keep them from laying for a while.

As for reducing the stress of this process? Catch them at night so you're not chasing anyone, and wash on a warm day. Release them with a couple handfuls of their favorite treat. Corn, mealworms, etc.

My birds usually just blow off something like being washed. Even if it does stress yours (and your flock temperament is something that you will know far better than I do) the bigger issue is that the poop could stay, attract flies, and lead to flystrike. Which is when the maggots run out of poop, and move to living tissue.

There's a space in @Miss Lydia's name.

Thank you for all your help & for tagging @Miss Lydia! She has been such a help since I joined BYC. But everyone seems so nice