Proactive health care measures for new chicks?

[pathwandering]

Wow - I have to say these new chicks smell really bad! My other birds really don't smell - there's only a slight odor from their coop/run and it's not necessarily foul. But these chicks just stink. I hope their smell changes!

I keep checking for mites and lice but have yet to see any. Tonight I shone the flashlight on the roost where the birds were and still nothing, but I'm convinced that they must have some. Is it really possible that birds from a large free range flock would be mite and lice free? I gave them a box with wood ash to play in today but had to go to work, so I'm not sure they actually used it for dust bathing. They don't look ashy...
I really don't want to dust them with anything like Sevin or DE because of the dust issue (for me breathing) and I'm not keen on using chemical treatments, not to mention I don't want to spend a lot of money on products. Some of their feathers still haven't cleaned up so I think this weekend if they haven't yet I will bathe them to try to move things along.

 

[centrarchid]

Wow - I have to say these new chicks smell really bad!  My other birds really don't smell - there's only a slight odor from their coop/run and it's not necessarily foul.  But these chicks just stink.  I hope their smell changes!  

I keep checking for mites and lice but have yet to see any.  Tonight I shone the flashlight on the roost where the birds were and still nothing, but I'm convinced that they must have some. Is it really possible that birds from a large free range flock would be mite and lice free? I gave them a box with wood ash to play in today but had to go to work, so I'm not sure they actually used it for dust bathing. They don't look ashy...
I really don't want to dust them with anything like Sevin or DE because of the dust issue (for me breathing) and I'm not keen on using chemical treatments, not to mention I don't want to spend a lot of money on products. Some of their feathers still haven't cleaned up so I think this weekend if they haven't yet I will bathe them to try to move things along. 

Free-range birds with access to ample dusting opportunities in good soil are less likely to have mite issues than confined birds unless latter maintained in a very tightly managed situation seldom realized with backyard flocks.

 

[bobbi-j]

Free-range birds with access to ample dusting opportunities in good soil are less likely to have mite issues than confined birds unless latter maintained in a very tightly managed situation seldom realized with backyard flocks.

This.

 

[pathwandering]

That's great to know about the free ranging and mites/lice. They are still getting their feathers in so it does seem like if they had something I would be able to see signs of it.
I think I do need to worm them though. I've never done that before but they continue to have blood in their droppings and they aren't showing any signs of coccidiosis besides still being a little skinny. They are already starting to improve, though which is pretty cool to see. Will it stress them out too much to worm them? It seems prohibitively expensive to bring in a fecal sample so I think I will just do the general de-worming.

 

[lazy gardener]

One thing that you might do to increase your biosecurity if you can do so without a lot of difficulty, and not necessary unless you free range your other flock would be to put up a perimeter fence at least 6' outside of the current fence that is securing the chicks: Kind of like a fence moat. Most resp diseases are spread by droplet, and the 6' barrier would be an extra measure of security. I hope all works out with your new gals, and sounds like they are making great improvements already. I am an advocate of fermented feed. It does wonders to cut down on smelly poop. Will also make a bag of feed go a lot further, as the probiotics help them to maximize the nutrient uptake from the food. Kind of like comparing yogurt to milk.

 

[pathwandering]

So tonight I took them off the roost to check for mites, and sure enough...there they were. I don't think I'm going to try to integrate them...I'm going to give them back. I know it's treatable but it doesn't seem like it's worth the risk, especially with the continued bloody droppings. I just hope I haven't already brought the mites close enough to infect my birds. At least I've done enough research now to know what to do if my birds do get it and how to act proactively. Poor little things.

 

[centrarchid]

Show a picture of these chicks. Biggest threat to them is over reacting.

 

[pathwandering]

I only have a couple of pictures from when they first arrived. In one of them you can see how their tail feathers were in poor shape. Underneath they had dirty feathers and I thought that was just plain being dirty, but it hasn't changed and they have remained dirty and crusty, which is why I kept looking for mites. Live and learn I guess.

 

[pathwandering]

Is it over-reacting to choose not to integrate birds with mites, by the way? Genuine question - as I'm sure you can tell this is all new to me.
Part of my reticence is that I am a nursing mom and I don't feel comfortable dusting with Sevin or pemetherin or even doing a flea/tick shampoo bath because I would hate for some of it to be transferred in my milk. I do know I could use Invermectin but I would have to do Wazine first and then wait 10 days. The thought of having the mites that close for that long is unsettling. But I am completely open to the possibility that I'm over reacting.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Is it over-reacting to choose not to integrate birds with mites, by the way? Genuine question - as I'm sure you can tell this is all new to me.
Part of my reticence is that I am a nursing mom and I don't feel comfortable dusting with Sevin or pemetherin or even doing a flea/tick shampoo bath because I would hate for some of it to be transferred in my milk. I do know I could use Invermectin but I would have to do Wazine first and then wait 10 days. The thought of having the mites that close for that long is unsettling. But I am completely open to the possibility that I'm over reacting.

No it is not over-reacting to keep infested birds away from your flock. No need to make the problem bigger then it already is.

If these were my birds? Due to the bloody poop I'd treat them with Corid for coccidiosis to start with. As far as the mites, is there someone else who could dust the birds for you? It also needs to be repeated in 10 days to clean up any mite eggs that hatched since the treatment won't kill them.

Are you talking about using Ivermectin for the mites or for worming? Either way you can use it without first using Wazine. These birds are pretty young to have a big worm infestation and ivermectins have become pretty ineffective as a wormer in poultry anyway.

If you want to deworm them I'd suggest Valbazen because it's very effective as well as safe, or liquid Safeguard for goats.

You are right to keep these birds quarantined away from your flock until you get their issues cleared up.