Found a chicken today, dead. She is one of a pair of chickens that we got almost a year ago who chronically pooped on themselves (not diarhhea, but somehow couldn't get it past the tail feathers, even the other fluffy-butt chickens could do it).
Here is the WAAAAAY TMI....
It looks like maggots from flies on her butt, coming out of her. She was absolutely fine, no strange behavior, eating, not really laying, but neither chicken was a great layer (and they were, frankly, headed for the processor in a couple months when it got cooler).
I need some help.
1. We have a TON of flies right now, everywhere. We have a horse and two goats, but they are not the problem. There are flies in the coop I just cleaned yesterday, flies in their food, flies on the chickens, flies everywhere. I need some suggestions, chemical and non-, to help eliminate them, or at least knock them down.
2. There is one more chronic pooper-on-herself-er. She is healthy, eating, no strange behavior. Should I just let her go, and possibly find her dead, or should I end it for her now? I don't want her to suffer, although if the other one did suffer, it was probably pretty short, based on the fact that she was fine six hours ago.
The other chickens are fine. It is hotter than hell right now. They spend most of the time in the shade during the day, but it is still very, very hot. They have plenty of access to clean water, but they have recently discovered the goldfish pond and are all fond of that.
Any insights? I feel really, really bad.
Here is the WAAAAAY TMI....
It looks like maggots from flies on her butt, coming out of her. She was absolutely fine, no strange behavior, eating, not really laying, but neither chicken was a great layer (and they were, frankly, headed for the processor in a couple months when it got cooler).
I need some help.
1. We have a TON of flies right now, everywhere. We have a horse and two goats, but they are not the problem. There are flies in the coop I just cleaned yesterday, flies in their food, flies on the chickens, flies everywhere. I need some suggestions, chemical and non-, to help eliminate them, or at least knock them down.
2. There is one more chronic pooper-on-herself-er. She is healthy, eating, no strange behavior. Should I just let her go, and possibly find her dead, or should I end it for her now? I don't want her to suffer, although if the other one did suffer, it was probably pretty short, based on the fact that she was fine six hours ago.
The other chickens are fine. It is hotter than hell right now. They spend most of the time in the shade during the day, but it is still very, very hot. They have plenty of access to clean water, but they have recently discovered the goldfish pond and are all fond of that.
Any insights? I feel really, really bad.
