PLEASE HELP MY CCL !!!

[mrsbirrd]

I can't thank you enough for your response. I truly hope I have not done more harm than good by dosing with Wazine. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any worms (in poo). My husband & I just dusted her with Permethrin & upon closer inspection I saw tiny TINYY black bugs at the base of a few feathers, along with larger, flea-sized brownish/red bugs. Your thoughts?

 

[azygous]

She can have both lice and poultry fleas. Permethrin will take care of both.

But these bugs are not what is making your hen sick.

For help in diagnosing your hen, go up to the top of the first page of this forum and find the "sticky" window. Click on the second one that says, "read this first", and answer all the questions you see there. They will help you to give us a better picture of what symptoms your hen is displaying. Without that, we're just wildly guessing.

 

[rebrascora]

Mites are blood red and round shaped like a crab. Lice are more brown/tan coloured and have oval shaped bodies with a head at one end. If you do a search for images of poultry lice and mites it should give you a better idea that any words I can use to describe. If they are mites thn check the coop because there will almost certainly be a heavy infestation....I use a dustpan brush to sweep debris from the nooks and crannies at the end of the roost bars into the dustpan and then tip it onto a piece of white card, and also lift the roost bars out and check the ends. If you have a problem you will almost certainly see them in those places.

 

[mrsbirrd]

Definitely lice, not mites. Sorry, I am new to the forum. I will try to find the sticky page you are referencing.

 

[mrsbirrd]

@azygous no compost pile, no moldy feed, however they do free range in my yard daily. I also scatter scratch a few times per week. Her eyes, ears, etc. do not have any discharge. She's not wheezing, gasping for air, etc. She has been sick for appx 72 hrs.

 

[mrsbirrd]

I am starting to wonder about coccidiosis... all of the symptoms are spot on minus the bloody stool (which from what I understand isn't always present as a symptom).

 

[rebrascora]

I appreciate that she is drinking. Will she eat anything? Scrambled egg is good for them and usually appetising or even just bread soaked in warm water. It's not high in nutrition like eggs are but sometimes it will tempt them to eat when they won't touch other stuff. A little olive oil in it will give extra calories. Also some ordinary chicken food (pellets or crumble soaked in warm water) to make a mash and you could mix a little natural yoghurt into it or the scrambled egg if she will eat it or try her with some yoghurt on it's own.

 

[rebrascora]

It's unusual for older birds to get coccidiosis unless they have been moved to a new area. Usually they develop resistance to the local strains as they are growing up. However, if her immune system is compromised by something else (Marek's is one disease that can do that) it leaves them open to a build up of parasites which would not normally occur, so again coccidia may be an indication of an underlying problem rather than the cause. That said, unlike lice, coccidia can kill, but I would get a faecal sample checked rather than dose her just in case. Here in the UK there are labs that you can send a sample off to direct, without going to a vet and they are usually much cheaper. It costs about £10 and some of them do next day results.

 

[azygous]

It does no real harm to treat for cocci. Just don't administer any vitamins until the five day course is finished. You will need to repeat in a week, though.

Since you live in Oregon, the wet side I'm presuming, you could have a cocci bloom that's overwhelming this chicken. If she doesn't get better after treatment, at least it's one thing you've ruled out.

Be prepared that you may lose this hen. There are so many diseases chickens can get, it's hard to diagnose a sick chicken unless you've become familiar with symptoms of some of the diseases. If your hen dies, I strongly urge you to be prepared to find a lab to do a necropsy. This will give you valuable information that may have consequences for your flock going from here.

 

[mrsbirrd]

I fed her scrambled egg this morning! So that is good. Planning a vet visit in the morning. Will update then. @rebrascora you have been very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to comment.