New hen, looks bad. Molting, mites, what?

[familypendragon]

I bought a lavender Ameraucana from a flock that was being sold for a move. I also took home a few of her laying hens. Of the 3 that I kept only one is laying. The other is still young, but this BLRW looks to me like she should be laying. She looked rough when we boxed her up, but the previous owner said the roosters had been rough on her since most the hens were gone. But the fact that she isn't laying, and to me looks a little worse for wear made me wonder if it wasn't something more than that. It took forever to catch her, but once I did I got some good pictures. Her inner thigh/belly area is mostly bare, her back is bare, and looking sun burned, a spot behind her comb is bare and all her skin looks dry, flaky and little oozy in spots where it might be sun burned. I don't know if her comb looks concerning, but her legs looked maybe scalier than my other chickens. Granted she looks like maybe she is older than the others too.... sheesh - I don't know. Someone with more experience tell me what you see?

 

[mg15]

Image 10 shows the clumps lice eggs at the base of follicle and those are lice. My dog attacked girl had significant wounds. The vet gave me chlorahexadine diluted to flush the bare area. And I added Neopsporin after cleansing. Doing this three times a day.

I treated the lice with 5% Sevin or a Garden Dusting powder with pyrethimin. That took care of all the awful clumps of eggs and the lice. Surprisingly fast.

she sure is pretty, and how lucky your girl is to have you !

You might want to give her a warm sudsy bath to make her feel better. Poor thing is just in bad shape, she is in rehab now.

 

[familypendragon]

Eek lice! So, worry about the rest of the flock? Prevention? I have 50 lbs of diatomaceous earth if that will help :/ She came with 3 flock mates - I wonder if they have them too. Seems like they would although they don't look like that... yet anyway. And everyone is all mixed together now except I did separate her into a large dog kennel today. Time to figure out what to do. I also can't use any products deadly to bees.

 

[mg15]

yes, the EEK factor, I know....creepy.
Well, the Sevin 5% is only on the chicken so I wouldn't worry about the bees.
Check the 3 flock mates for them. They may have the lice.
I have never dusted the coop or surrounding area. Just the birds. Actually only two birds had the lice. I was freaked out so I dusted every one. I am not so sure I had to do that. I did that once to all of them and a couple of times to the ones who really had alot of them. She doesn't have them anymore. I will pick one up and just look for any lice. So far so good.

I had the diamatceous earth for them, and they had lice while bathing in the DE.

 

[mg15]

I forgot to add, I don't know about her legs.
I know from looking at the pictures of scaly leg mites they can get really gnarly looking.

 

[familypendragon]

I read through a ton of the lice threads on here last night and decide to start simple and see what happens. I gave the new chickens a vinegar and water bath this morning and I saw some floating lice but the eggs were not effected. I ended up rubbing them in olive oil in hopes of smothering/softening/releasing them. We will see. I also found some with the red mites near the vent. I also found a couple cases of bumblefoot So I guess I have my work cut out for me.... sigh. Crash course in chicken medicine.