Seven poor wee rescued lice ridden chooks

[catonhotbricks]

We live in the currently very very wet gold coast of australia and have been happy keepiing six lovely healthy ladies who after some early drama with eagles have settled in happily.
We wanted to extend our flock and our pen and looked on gumtree for anyone who was selling hens. A local lady was selling her seven girls as she couldnt care for them any more with here health issues.
We turned up just to look at them, but the poor things were in such a state that we had to take them and care for them as it was likely that noone else would want them.
They have hardly any feathers, they have raw red patches from pecking themselves and each other and of course they have bloody lice.

Of course we have to seperate them from our other girls, i spend a very horrible day (in the torrential rain) dunking them in an antiseptic bath, a clean bath and dusting them with lice powder before crawling into and scrubbing the hutch. Joy.

So now i am at a bit of a loss - the weather conditions mean they are not able to go out much, but i want to do everything to give them the best chance of rapid healing and recovery. They are eating and laying and their combs are up so i know it is not a lost cause.
Any tips from anyone who has been in a similar situation, or ideas on if i should worm them or feed them anything in particular.
thank you all, Cat

 

[sourland]

Well, it's a good thing you've taken on. Provide them with a good quality laying ration plus oyster shell, de-bug them again in 10 days, and yes I would worm them. Luckily although it is raining you are into your summer and they should do fine. The fact that they are laying indicates that although they look rough they are basically OK.

edited to add the "welcome smilley" which is messing with me!

 

[Miss Lydia]

More than likely they have never been wormed if they lived in such horrible conditions, Thank for saving them. Once you have them deliced, get them started on some yogurt for their gut, especially after worming, then just give them lots of love and maybe mealworms. scrambled eggs, veggies. And hopefully sunshine eventually.

sounds like you've got a good start on it already. Are they pecking their own feathers out and or each others? if so they probably need lots of protein, which all the above will provide. If they have open areas on their body you should cover that with something that masks it to keep them from pecking at it. Good luck and let us know how it goes.....

 

[catonhotbricks]

Thank you both - Some of them do have some open sores, what do you suggest to put on them that would stay attached in the wet weather?

 

[fiberart57]

Good for you for an outstanding rescue. Rescue animals tend to repay their people over and over.

We have something here called Blu-Kote, which is a semi-antiseptic liquid that I put on open sores. It's like ink, almost, and turns the skin where you put it on very blue which is good because they will peck at each other if they see some bloody spots.

You could also put a form of topical antibiotic ointment, like Neosporin, but make sure that what you use doesn't have any of the "caine" painkiller in it.

Mary

 

[catonhotbricks]

UPDATE - Two weeks of lice treatment later and they seem to have improved, less pecking of themselves and each other.
The feathers that they have are horribly hard and rough and there does not seem to be many new ones coming through.

Should i just be patient? I am feeding them lots of protein, anything else i can do?
Thank you for your help
Cat

 

[sourland]

Glad to hear of positive progress. Their combs and wattles should be brightening up. Feather quality probably won't improve until they go through a molt.