Hartsharvestfarms
In the Brooder
- Mar 21, 2020
- 43
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Posting again because I didn’t have replies and I’m really stuck! I’m sorry it’s so long, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible!
Hartsharvestfarms
In the Brooder
Yesterday my Lavender Orpingtonswent into the coop at night just like they always do and nothing seemed to be amid. This morning I went to check everyone and my Rooster was just standing in one spot. He is usually the first out and he’s not the nicest guy, so always on the move watching everyone. I fed everyone and he still didn’t move. I went over to him and noticed large, bloody gashes on his back. I cleaned the wound with iodine and AAA ointment. He just let me hold him right on my lap. He would never do this normally. When I was trying to make sure the ointment was really in the wound I noticed small, white maggots crawling through his injury. So I am not sure if he was attacked by something or if this could e flystrike.
If this was an attack, I believe we would have noticed yesterday, although sometimes in a rush we just close the coop at night after a quick count. Our coop is actually a cement room that is near the basement of our house, so we have seen a small mouse and snake in it (many months ago), but a predator getting in is highly unlikely because of how sealed it is. I believe an attack from a larger animal would have killed him, so dogs, coyotes, raccoons, foxes seem unlikely.
Fly strike- I found this after cleaning his injury and had never heard of it before. We have had a very humid, damp summer and there are lots of flies everywhere on our farm. Is it possible that it became this bad in a matter of hours? Again, yesterday he was his normal self. I tried to check his vent area without causing him distress and it was a bit dirty, but I did not see any signs of maggots. The wound is on the top of his back and I am not seeing any other injuries on his body. I checked one of my other hens who let me catch her and she did not show any signs of maggots and had a clean vent.
Some of my birds have a little poopy crud around they’re vents, but they are also an extremely fluffy breed and I always assumed this was why. I have noticed some wet poops, but am not sure exactly which chicken/s they are coming from. We also have 5/7 hens right now that are broody and so poops seem to be different all around and they are a little edgy with anyone in the coop.
so my questions are:
1. Disease, infestation or injury
2. What came first, the maggots or the injury.
please share any thoughts, experience or advice on what this might be, how to treat it and how to prevent it from happening again.
basic information - Lavender Orpington’s, 1 year old, healthy weight, lively temperament, free range, secure/cement coop with one standard door and closed/sealed windows, pine shavings for bedding, roosts for sleeping, hanging feeder, rubber watering tub, given oyster shell, fed blend of oats, cracked corn, black sunflower seeds, DE and kitchen scraps.
the only health issue I’ve ever had with these birds was pasty butt when they were younger, otherwise no history of anything.
Hartsharvestfarms
In the Brooder
Yesterday my Lavender Orpingtonswent into the coop at night just like they always do and nothing seemed to be amid. This morning I went to check everyone and my Rooster was just standing in one spot. He is usually the first out and he’s not the nicest guy, so always on the move watching everyone. I fed everyone and he still didn’t move. I went over to him and noticed large, bloody gashes on his back. I cleaned the wound with iodine and AAA ointment. He just let me hold him right on my lap. He would never do this normally. When I was trying to make sure the ointment was really in the wound I noticed small, white maggots crawling through his injury. So I am not sure if he was attacked by something or if this could e flystrike.
If this was an attack, I believe we would have noticed yesterday, although sometimes in a rush we just close the coop at night after a quick count. Our coop is actually a cement room that is near the basement of our house, so we have seen a small mouse and snake in it (many months ago), but a predator getting in is highly unlikely because of how sealed it is. I believe an attack from a larger animal would have killed him, so dogs, coyotes, raccoons, foxes seem unlikely.
Fly strike- I found this after cleaning his injury and had never heard of it before. We have had a very humid, damp summer and there are lots of flies everywhere on our farm. Is it possible that it became this bad in a matter of hours? Again, yesterday he was his normal self. I tried to check his vent area without causing him distress and it was a bit dirty, but I did not see any signs of maggots. The wound is on the top of his back and I am not seeing any other injuries on his body. I checked one of my other hens who let me catch her and she did not show any signs of maggots and had a clean vent.
Some of my birds have a little poopy crud around they’re vents, but they are also an extremely fluffy breed and I always assumed this was why. I have noticed some wet poops, but am not sure exactly which chicken/s they are coming from. We also have 5/7 hens right now that are broody and so poops seem to be different all around and they are a little edgy with anyone in the coop.
so my questions are:
1. Disease, infestation or injury
2. What came first, the maggots or the injury.
please share any thoughts, experience or advice on what this might be, how to treat it and how to prevent it from happening again.
basic information - Lavender Orpington’s, 1 year old, healthy weight, lively temperament, free range, secure/cement coop with one standard door and closed/sealed windows, pine shavings for bedding, roosts for sleeping, hanging feeder, rubber watering tub, given oyster shell, fed blend of oats, cracked corn, black sunflower seeds, DE and kitchen scraps.
the only health issue I’ve ever had with these birds was pasty butt when they were younger, otherwise no history of anything.
