need help with diagnosis/treatment

[Jster]

We've got a chicken that has had various amounts of blue comb for the last week+. I put them on antibiotics (oxytetracycline) for a week, thinking that it might be like the blue comb in turkeys. There was one day I thought a couple of other chickens had slight blue tips to their combs, but haven't seen that since. Here's the one who still has a problem:

Today I also noticed she has a lot of yellowish crud, almost waxy looking, around her feathers by her comb. And some black in the feathers always covered by her comb (it's a big comb that always flops to one side). Here are a couple of pictures:

I have tried looking for mites/lice, but maybe I don't know what I'm looking for? I've never seen anything moving. I've gone out at night with a flashlight and still not seen anything moving. But there is some dirty/sandy looking stuff near the base of some of her feathers, could this be mites? Here's a pic:

She's definitely dehydrated. She seems to be fine spirit wise, but I haven't been able to see her poop to analyze it. I'm really worried about her and our other chickens. I'd prefer not to use any pesticides, especially when I was reading about sevin dust and bees, and I'm leary of things that might be internal that would affect the eggs (like frontline). But we'll do what we've got to do...these chickens are pets more than producers, and we will happily forego eggs to keep our friends healthy if that is what it takes.

Please help. My last posts about her blue comb only had one loyal responder, and I really need some info. We're also moving in about 1.5 weeks (with the chickens, 450 miles, to a house with three acres) so there's a lot going on but I want to keep on top of this as much as possible.

Peace,
Jennifer

 

[spook]

Boy, I've never seen such a thing! Perhaps getting a magnifying glass to look closer at the granules, I wish I could help more then this! I hope one of the older wiser ones can give you solid advice.

 

[Crystalchic]

I would wear medical gloves when touching a bird that was in that condition.

 

[KellyHM]

All the grey stuff in the feathers looks like the build-up that comes with mites. I would Ivomec her...you don't have to worry about it being in the eggs either...if you want to be extra cautious you can not eat them for a week.

 

[melissaowens]

there might be something here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=15239-poultry-diseases-1

not sure though, i think it is lice or mites possibly both

i just found something about the base areas on that link, look for external symptom at the top and look there.

heres some more info on lice and mites

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[Jster]

Thanks for all the responses and KEEP THEM COMING! We really want to figure something out to help her get better. Really, she's acting totally normal, which is why I hadn't done a thorough inspection (also, she's one of the more skittish birds).

It does look gross, I admit.

The waxy stuff around her head reminds me of a dog with an infected ear or cradle cap on my babies...yucky looking, but harmful? I'm not sure. I really don't know what to think about that. Maybe she's not preening as much?

As for mites...I'll look into the ivomec. Would I treat all the chickens, or just ones that show signs? Just read a bit about it...will talk to dh but maybe the feed store will have it?

And our local feed store has no idea about blue combs in chickens, I've been asking them all week as well. Granted, we're in an urban area, but still.

melissa, thanks for the links. I've already pored over both of those, trying to find something definitive, and while it looks like it could be the mites, I'm just not sure. Also, I'm always wrestling a chicken to check! But we're definitely going to treat for it, both preventatively with DE and also something for the chickens themselves.

 

[Jster]

Well, I was searching for info about chicken ear infections and found this site, which lists purplish combs in chickens as a possible heart disease. I hope that's not the problem! I did find the charts helpful and they had a lot more information than other charts I had seen.

http://www.colchesterpoultryclub.com/health.htm

Thanks again everyone, and if anyone has any more suggestions, please let us know.

 

[DANNY]

It looks like mites to me. Have you checked?

 

[Jster]

Okay, we're going to treat for mites, any idea what the waxy stuff is? Daytime viewers, suggestions please? One of my other girls has a bluish comb and some waxy stuff and feather loss by her comb this morning.

 

[NotTheMomma]

That yellow crusty stuff looks like what my dog gets when she has fleas! There's also the black spots that the vet calls flea dander. Maybe they have fleas? I don't know if chickens get fleas or not. Do know they get lice, and mites. Sevin dust would kill any of the three that might be bothering him.