maggots on chicken's hind end?

[nancy lee]

My chicken has a featherless bottom and has seemed sick for about a month. Initially I took her to a vet who put her on antibiotics for 10 days and she seemed to get better. She began eating well and walking around although she never regained her alpha status again. Then, yesterday I saw a horrible sight when I noticed another chicken pecking her rear area and eating something. It was a big ball of tiny white worms in a pocket of her skin like an abccess but, filled with those tiny worms...not by her vent, which was bloody. Her rear end seems like a balloon and the color of gray. I washed it with a very mild soap and hosed if off as well but today she seems worse in the way she is acting. I got Wazine 17 for worms after reading online but I just read that it is for round worms. I think these are maggots because they are white and short . I am thinking about putting her down or does anyone have an idea what might be wrong? She is about 2 1/2 years old. My 3 other backyard chickens are fine. Thank you

 

[NacientNeedle]

I would cull at this point - not good to let her suffer - it sounds pretty bad.

 

[MrsBrooke]

There is a chance you can save her...

This is called fly strike, and it is common when the weather starts to warm up and poop gets stuck in fluffy bottoms. Flies lay eggs, they hatch, and start eating the flesh around her vent.

Separate your mama in a dog crate or similar someplace warm, dim, and quiet. You've GOT to pick every single one of those maggots out of her. Get tweezers and start grabbing.

Run to Walgreens and grab some chlorihexidine (it's right by the hydro perox). Chlorhexidine won't eat her flesh like hydro perox. It may sting, but she'll be okay.

Trim surrounding feathers to clear the way. Flush the wound with warm salt water after you remove the maggots. Pour chlorihexidine liberally INTO the wound. She may squirm, so wrap her in a towel and cover her head to make it dark for her.

I would skip antibiotic ointment at this stage, because if there are still fly eggs in her and they hatch, maggots love gooey dark places...

Check her again for more maggots the next day. Pick them out. Repeat the cleaning process with the salt water and chlorihexidine. Check again. Repeat. Check repeat. So on and so forth.

She should start to heal up.

Offer her boiled egg in addition to her regular food. The higher protein will help her rebuild tissue and keep her strength up. If she has gone completely off food and water, you may have to tube her to keep her alive through the process to help her heal.

Keep us posted!!

MrsB

 

[nancy lee]

I am trying to save her.
I flushed with salt water then with chorhexidine and got at least 100 small maggots out. should I leave the chlorhexidine on full strength or, should I rinse her with salty or fresh, warm water?
She looks terribly exhausted after this effort. She is in a dog crate with boiled egg whites and water but doesn't want either.
Should I flush her?
Thank you

 

[GitaBooks]

I hope this helps: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2014/07/flystrike-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html

And I hope she gets better soon!

 

[MrsBrooke]

Leave it on.

If she's not eating or drinking, you've got to tube her to keep her alive long enough for the healing process to start.

Search at the top for "Go Team Tube Feeding" and search a few videos on YouTube on how to tube a chicken. It's easy stuff, especially when they're tired.

It's more important to tube her liquid and keep her hydrated than anything... Aquarium tubing from Pets mart and a 60cc syringe from Tractor Supply is what I use.

You can use Pedialyte to keep her hydrated. Give her about 90-120cc every four hours or so.

I'm hamstrung on my phone, or I'd be able to give you links and more info.

You're doing great. ♡

MrsB

 

[nancy lee]

Thank you. I have pedialyte and will get the rest of the equipment tomorrow to try the tube feeding.
Did you say to rinse the chlorohexine off or leave it on the chicken without rinsing?
Thank you for all your advice and for the way to look up how to tube feed a chicken.
Nancy

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

I just dealt with a case of fly strike in my roo. I washed out the wound, pulled the maggots out that did not come out in the water. Then I put hydrogen peroxide on the wound to wash it out.
Get some wound spray and spray on it as well. I did not use gel because it tends to keep the wound moist, but something that will keep the infection down. Then I put him on rooster booster the kind with the Vitamins B-12 and K. After 4 days he is much better and back out with his girls.

I know that fly strike is terrible, this was the first time I have ever seen it. it horrified me, I am still trying to get over the trauma of witnessing it.

I am getting over it some, but it will stick with me for a while. As long as you can get the wound healing and her mending she will make it. My Roy made it.
It took some work but we got through. I hope she makes it.

 

[MrsBrooke]

Thank you. I have pedialyte and will get the rest of the equipment tomorrow to try the tube feeding.
Did you say to rinse the chlorohexine off or leave it on the chicken without rinsing?
Thank you for all your advice and for the way to look up how to tube feed a chicken.
Nancy

Leave it on. It's kinda thick, so it runs down into the wound and coats every thing.

Just make sure no new maggots are appearing and keep her separate for now until she's all healed up.

Is she still not eating or drinking that you can tell?

MrsB

 

[nancy lee]

Mrs B,
She ate a little oatmeal, chia, sugar and salt this morning before I flushed her again. She didn't eat the egg whites. Still a few maggots coming out after flush.. I don't see her drinking so, I am going to get a tube today. I just don't want to get water in her trachea - which seems would be easy. She is all wet so, I set her in the sun for a while trying to dry her off. Many maggots seemed to crawl off during the night as there were about 15 at the bottom of her cage this morning. Her whole hind end looks much dryer than yesterday.
Thank you all for your help.
Nancy