Polish hen scratching herself to death- need help ASAP!

[NatJ]

As soon as I can get the “scratching until she bleeds” then I will get her a friend. As you know blood is a no-go with multiple birds.

You could get her a friend now, and put them in adjacent cages or pens. That way they can start getting to know each other, but no-one gets hurt.

Look-no-touch for days or weeks is a common way to begin introducing chickens, and it's safe to do even if one has blood on her because of the no-touch part.

And if her scratching is caused by loneliness or boredom, having a new chicken nearby might help her quit doing it.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I am hoping that @Weeg s tagging some of this forums top experts (and also including those who have already replied here) will help you soon get to the bottom of your pullets issue. As others have said, i also appreciate your dedication to solving her problem. Her relentless scratching to the point of drawing blood does remind me of dogs that do the same. Some common causes for pruritis (medical term for excessive itching) in dogs are flea allergies, food allergies, and contact allergies (grass, pollen,etc). I do know that ivermectin will kill some mites (such as depluming mites) that other products have no effect on. So i vote definitely take Eggcessives advice on ivermectin. U should be getting more good advice and input very soon.

 

[feather13]

We’ve got medicated cream for her scabs but do you think Vaseline would be better?

You're doing such a great job caring for her and narrowing down possible ailments.

We don't use Vaseline on people or animals because it's made from petroleum. If it's available in your area, you might want to try Waxelene.

 

[Lauras010]

You're doing such a great job caring for her and narrowing down possible ailments.

We don't use Vaseline on people or animals because it's made from petroleum. If it's available in your area, you might want to try Waxelene.

Thank you for that! We don’t use it on ourselves either lol and typically use coconut oil. I’ll look for waxelene, too.

 

[Lauras010]

I am hoping that @Weeg s tagging some of this forums top experts (and also including those who have already replied here) will help you soon get to the bottom of your pullets issue. As others have said, i also appreciate your dedication to solving her problem. Her relentless scratching to the point of drawing blood does remind me of dogs that do the same. Some common causes for pruritis (medical term for excessive itching) in dogs are flea allergies, food allergies, and contact allergies (grass, pollen,etc). I do know that ivermectin will kill some mites (such as depluming mites) that other products have no effect on. So i vote definitely take Eggcessives advice on ivermectin. U should be getting more good advice and input very soon.

Thank you so much! I appreciate all the help. She gets to visit with 3 of our birds through her coop on the regular, and is not amused. As soon they come close, she goes upstairs into her house and looks at them via the window lol She seems to prefer the companionship of humans and cats so far lol (Supervised with my old cat, of course.)

 

[lateforbrekkie]

Thank you so much! I appreciate all the help. She gets to visit with 3 of our birds through her coop on the regular, and is not amused. As soon they come close, she goes upstairs into her house and looks at them via the window lol She seems to prefer the companionship of humans and cats so far lol (Supervised with my old cat, of course.)

How is she doing? I have an itchy boy who has been tearing up his own face. I found a post on here about a dog shampoo called Sebozole with Miconazole Nitrate 2% and Chloroxylenol 1% and it has helped. He had two baths with the shampoo and then a drop of ivermectin on his neck two days ago and it doesn't look like he has any fresh scratches, but he still has a ton of scabs.

 

[Lauras010]

How is she doing? I have an itchy boy who has been tearing up his own face. I found a post on here about a dog shampoo called Sebozole with Miconazole Nitrate 2% and Chloroxylenol 1% and it has helped. He had two baths with the shampoo and then a drop of ivermectin on his neck two days ago and it doesn't look like he has any fresh scratches, but he still has a ton of scabs.

She stopped scratching hard enough to draw blood from the beginning of March through last week. Suddenly, she cuts herself open again. We used ivermectin on her, and I don't think it's mites or any pests. I think it might be neurological as someone said before. She will go into a scratching fit then kind of doze off for about a minute then she's fine again. I really wish I knew a way to get to stop because it must bother her. In other news, one of our hens, Sky, has really warmed up to her. Sky is much larger than her so Dolly stays in her coop but they lay in the sun together and dust bathe together too. (Sky's best friend, Lucky, was killed by a predator a few weeks ago in broad daylight. We're still not sure what got her.)

 

[lateforbrekkie]

She stopped scratching hard enough to draw blood from the beginning of March through last week. Suddenly, she cuts herself open again. We used ivermectin on her, and I don't think it's mites or any pests. I think it might be neurological as someone said before. She will go into a scratching fit then kind of doze off for about a minute then she's fine again. I really wish I knew a way to get to stop because it must bother her. In other news, one of our hens, Sky, has really warmed up to her. Sky is much larger than her so Dolly stays in her coop but they lay in the sun together and dust bathe together too. (Sky's best friend, Lucky, was killed by a predator a few weeks ago in broad daylight. We're still not sure what got her.)

That is sweet and I'm glad she had a friend! My boy also goes through periods of letting himself heal and I think it's over finally, then he does it again, so they seem to have that in common. Like you, I think we've tried everything. With us, it's been going on since November. So sorry about Lucky. I hate where chickens reside on the food chain! We've lost some to skunks, possums, raccoons, and hawks. The hawks are the only ones we've had in the middle of the day, but the raccoons have attacked in the morning after sunrise.

 

[Wendy Bee]

She stopped scratching hard enough to draw blood from the beginning of March through last week. Suddenly, she cuts herself open again. We used ivermectin on her, and I don't think it's mites or any pests. I think it might be neurological as someone said before. She will go into a scratching fit then kind of doze off for about a minute then she's fine again. I really wish I knew a way to get to stop because it must bother her. In other news, one of our hens, Sky, has really warmed up to her. Sky is much larger than her so Dolly stays in her coop but they lay in the sun together and dust bathe together too. (Sky's best friend, Lucky, was killed by a predator a few weeks ago in broad daylight. We're still not sure what got her.)

I hope you've found some solutions! I'm new to chicken-keeping, but have other animals and seven children, so . . . purely offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis .

As I read through this thread, I couldn't help but wonder if it could be a fungal/yeast infection going on? They can be exasperated by repeated antibiotics and are VERY itchy!

Several years ago, one of our cats had a very weird and itchy rash on her belly that she was licking herself absolutely raw over. She was frantic in her licking, and her belly was a mess! After trying several things, I ended up using the following Antiseptic and Antifungal Spray with immediate results with quick and lasting healing. She found relief and after a couple of days of use, her licking completely stopped and the healing was really remarkably rapid. That spray has been a staple in our home ever since!

Please look up the ingredients yourself to see if they're chicken safe. I did do a search and from what I saw, I would be comfortable just giving it a try. If anyone more experienced here sees an ingredient not safe for chickens, by all means, please chime in!

Chewy carries this for $8.96 for 8 oz. A little goes a long way. It's also super for use on pet hot spots, various pet scrapes and wounds, and we've found that it's really good for foot pad cuts. Our rescue standard Poodle mix is prone to paw wounds (romping our small rocky creek and woods) getting cuts between his pads and we spray this Antiseptic and Antifungal Spray on the wound and then pack antibiotic ointment mixed with goldenseal powder (from capsules) onto the wound, place a square of gauze over the wound area, and then wrap his paw with vet tape. I actually just did this today. He's usually healed up in a couple of days.

You may be beyond this problem by now, but I just happened upon your thread and thought I'd offer my 2 cents and best wishes .

https://www.chewy.com/veterinary-fo...-f7UOpgAKYEPHGc7E6wI9JcFnpQpfHTEaAheDEALw_wcB

 

[Chouser]

Hi, just wondering if you found any resolution for her yet? I have a black polish chicken who is doing the same thing, just not as bad and I can not figure out what to do to help her. Was wonder if she has a irritation to the bedding in the coop