Older hen dying.........mites?

[Country4ever]

Periwinkle is over 11 years old. She was fine until about a week ago, when she didn't seem to want to leave the coop, and when she would, she didn't want to come back in. One day I saw another hen attack her, so I decided to keep her in a dog crate so I could make sure she ate and pooped. Well, she's not pooping.......but it's probably because she's not eating or drinking much. I think she's really dehydrated. I've been giving her some diluted tart cherry juice and she seems to like it. I wasn't terribly aggressive with hydrating her, because I thought she was dying from something terminal...or just old age.

Tonight, she got so weak, I thought it was the end. She is very thin but nothing is swollen. I held her for a long time tonight, saying my goodbyes to her. When I left the coop, I looked down and there were black dots all over my light-colored tee shirt. Dang. She has mites. I had scanned for lice (which one of my hens had a few years ago), and I didn't see any of those. She looks healthy, feather-wise. But I'm wondering.........can mites actually cause a hen to die? (even when you can't find that much damage on the bird from them?

Maybe she has them, because some other illness (liver? ovarian cancer, etc.) has lowered her immunity?

Anyhow.......I took her outside and dusted her with DE. I had put some DE in her cage, before the bedding, but I put more in there tonight.

Is it possible that she is so weak just from the mites? I hope that's what it is. How long will the DE take to kill the mites?
Thanks for your help.

 

[welasharon]

Yes they can kill them. Especially when the chicken is older or sick. I like to use seven dust because it kills them immediately. Don't forget to redust in 10 days. Feed her some scrambled egg with buttermilk. It will help build her back up. I also give a 1/4 cc of liquid infant vitamins (just don't get the kind with iron). once a day.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

Anemia from a mite infestation can certainly weaken and kill a bird, especially an older or I'll one. I agree with the Sevin dust. It is my go to for mite and live dusting. You can either take a bit in your hand and dust under the wings and on the back, or you can "shake and bake" but sticking the bird in a plastic bag with dust but holding their head on the outside of the bag. Then shake a bit and they are good to go.

She may also have other stuff going on, but it's worth it I think to dust them anyways. I would probably just dust all your other birds as well. I have not personally used DE, but I've heard it also works, just a bit slower.

 

[birdlady79]

Anemia from a mite infestation can certainly weaken and kill a bird, especially an older or I'll one. I agree with the Sevin dust. It is my go to for mite and live dusting. You can either take a bit in your hand and dust under the wings and on the back, or you can "shake and bake" but sticking the bird in a plastic bag with dust but holding their head on the outside of the bag. Then shake a bit and they are good to go.

She may also have other stuff going on, but it's worth it I think to dust them anyways. I would probably just dust all your other birds as well. I have not personally used DE, but I've heard it also works, just a bit slower.

I like the plastic bag idea.... How much seven do you put in? I use old panty hose and I love it but I might try the plastic bag method too.

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I would just add enough to coat the bird well, probably a handful or two, unless you are doing multiple birds then you would need more.

(Sorry for the spelling mistakes in the previous post! I'm on my phone and didn't check before posting!)

 

[welasharon]

Just be very careful you don't let her pull her head back in. I had one almost do that.