Losing tail feathers and now lame leg. Please help

[SilkiesnFrizzle]

You checked her REALLY well for mites? Are the scales on her legs raised at all?

 

[witjer]

To be honest I dont know exactly how to check her for mites. I just treated everything for bugs because I didnt know.

 

[witjer]

Can anyone look at these pictures to try to confirm this is mites? Also noticed another hen looking a little lethargic today.

 

[rbaker0345]

Hold her with her on your lap and look at her skin on her back. Pull the feathers the wrong way and lift them up so you can really SEE the skin. Check around her vent area and look at the skin on her belly.

You can see the mites, they will be crawling on her, they are small and tannish clear colored, but they are big enough for you to see with the naked eye. Also, you may see some feathers on her underside and around the vent with a white crust near the bottom of the quill. Those would be louse eggs.

There is a mite that can be very destructive to poultry and to some people. They are also known as chiggers. These are little red mites that come out at night and feed on the birds.

I am thinking it could be a few things. 1. The mites/lice if its bad enough, it could have caused her oil gland to become infected or at least inflamed like it is.
2. picking by other chickens 3. Something else, maybe a rodent attack? but that's just reaching.

Check for the mites first. You probably wont see the red ones, but the dusting and cleaning you have done should take care of any mites/lice.

 

[witjer]

Well we just did another THOROUGH!! cleaning of the coop. Also treated their legs with some scaly leg treatment that feed store sells. I dont know what else to do. Hopefully things start to clear up

 

[witjer]

Should I try medicated feed?

 

[rbaker0345]

Did you find any mites on her?

 

[witjer]

I have yet to see any mite at all anywhere. She is still losing feathers. Its starting to spread down underneath her belly now. Her skin is red and irritated. Barely using her leg but she does limp on it when she has to. Some of the others seem to be showing some feather loss around their vents along with some messy feathers. I gave them epsom salts in water today and put some anti fungal cream on their rears. I dont know what else to do.