I have a broody with 6 1-1/2 month old chicks. One is starting to have problems. I noticed the youngest (2 day late hatch) walking funny today and started checking it over. At first I was concerned because the father is a silkie and thought it was a vitamin problem but as I looked it over I saw what looks like tiny red ticks in the feathers. I think they are mites but am not sure as I have never dealt with them before. Does anyone know if these are mites? The nesting box is plastic, sand bedding, and my coop is painted inside and out. No other member of my flock has them, just this one. I don't see eggs of any kind but the bug is so small I am not sure if I would even be able to see them. My second problem is the leg thing. The leg was much colder then the good one and it was almost like it was dragging it. It is not broken. This started today, yesterday it was walking around just fine. Could this be a vitamin problem like what silkies are prone to? None of my flock is medicated, all new members are hatched here from existing members, and I have not had an illness from any other bird on the property. Any ideas or advice for dealing with either problem? Thank you!
I would certainly treat for mites/lice. If you have chickens, you are bound to get some sooner or later. they are carried by wild birds. Broodies are a bit more likely to have a problem from being still so long, and Silkies seem to be especiall prone to them. Of course if the mama has them, her chicks will. There are several treatments, but do use a miticide and not just DE or wood ash. Wood ash, however, in dust baths do seem to help a lot after treatment to prevent recurrence. Here are a couple of links. The first one has some prety good pics. http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/818674/are-these-some-kind-of-egg-clusters/0_20#post_11897957
Mites are slow, lice ar fast moving. Lice leave white egg clusters at the base of feathers, mites gray. Google lice in chickens and go to the UCDavis site for good pictures and info, also Ohio State site. I hope your silkie doesn't have Mareks disease. Start the vitamins, but dragging the legs sounds like Mareks. Hopefully not.
Thank you for the link. From what it says over there it is most likely mites. I will be dusting the entire flock with sevin in the morning. There are no eggs so far so I hope it was caught early enough. I just started getting a bunch of wild birds in my yard last week, looks like I have to run them off again.
