Rescued hen has tiny white bugs. Help

[cbain0432]

My daughter rescued a stray hen from a cat near her school. Limping on left leg. Comb bloody. Missing feathers on head, back, rump. Other feathers were cut by someone, probably previous owner. She did not have any bathroom debris for 8 hrs. Eating, drinking and using potty now. I made a cozy home in my shower for her. For 1 day, very little movement. I have 11 pullets and 1 cockerel. I took new girl outside. Now that she had seen my flock, she's become a chatty Cathy. Excited to limp around on leg and eat near my flock. I kept at a distance because of her bugs. I don't know how to treat them. She stinks too. I will probably need to treat my flock too. Any advise?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Where on her body are the bugs? Can you tell where the foul odor is coming from? Do you see any wounds anywhere on her? Part her feathers, look under her wings, between her legs, etc. Are the bugs moving? Are they about the size of grains of rice? If so, they may be maggots. Can you post pictures of the hen, especially the bugs, along with a picture of her poo.

 

[cbain0432]

Where on her body are the bugs? Can you tell where the foul odor is coming from? Do you see any wounds anywhere on her? Part her feathers, look under her wings, between her legs, etc. Are the bugs moving? Are they about the size of grains of rice? If so, they may be maggots. Can you post pictures of the hen, especially the bugs, along with a picture of her poo.

 

[9SpiceyChickens]

Following

 

[casportpony]

Sounds like she might have lice. Go to Tractor Supply and get some permethrin spray or permethrin powder.

 

[cbain0432]

They look more like mites. Crawling on head and ears. Runny poop. Will get a pic of that tomorrow. Blood on comb only. Her whole body stinks. She spread her wings out. No blood, just a bunch of bare skin. Only noticeable injury is L leg.

 

[slordaz]

tagging someone who really knows there stuff, could be lice, could be she's got a festering would that flies laid eggs in

@Eggcessive
@Wyorp Rock
@casportpony

 

[BigBlueHen53]

On my phone, those look like maggots to me. @casportpony, do you see that pic? Do you still think mites? Those look way too big to be mites. What do you advise for maggots?

 

[cmom]

I use permethrin. It works. I had a severe infestation of mites primarily in one coop which I attribute to wild birds that had tried to build nests in the coop. My birds were ugly. I thought they were molting but they didn't seem to be getting their feathers back in so upon closer inspection I discovered they were covered with mites. I did spray the birds, as well as their nest boxes, ceilings, walls, floors, on and under the roosts, any crack and crevices with a gallon sprayer so I could reach the hard to reach areas with the wand and repeat weekly for awhile because it doesn't kill the pests eggs. I use permethrin dust on my birds and in their nest boxes. If you have a TSC they carry the permethrin powder, premixed spray bottles and the concentrate. No egg withdrawal period. I bathed the infected birds using flea shampoo. It did help get rid of some of the pests but not all. The birds actually relaxed and seemed to enjoy being bathed. Since treating the coop and birds, no more mites and the birds are beautiful again.

 

[cbain0432]

On my phone, those look like maggots to me. @casportpony, do you see that pic? Do you still think mites? Those look way too big to be mites. What do you advise for maggots?

No they have little legs and run.