sick birds???

[mygirls21]

I have rhode island reds and cross linked. They molted in Oct 07 the reds grew there feathers back but the others did not. They are eating and as far as I can tell they are laying eggs.

I am worried because in the past 2 days one of them seems to have a drooping eyelid.

I can't figure out what is wrong. I have read through the chicken health handbook but I can't figure out what it might be.

Can anyone give me advise or help me it would be greatly appreciated.:|:|:|

 

[sammi]

does the eye have any drainage or mucus?
does the eye look hazy or have a gray color?
is there any swelling?
is she walking normally?
are her wings droopy?

could she have been pecked?
could she have been bitten by an insect?
check for any injury..
if you have any saline eye wash, you can put a few drops in to wash the eye..

 

[petlove]

Maybe mites

 

[dlhunicorn]

please tell us the age, what you have been feeding them (I suggest you get a supplement especially for molting birds and also offer free choice live culture yogurt) , what their housing and enviroment (weather) is.

Did you by any chance worm them with fenbendazol right before or during the molt?

 

[mygirls21]

They are 1 y/o they are 11 altogether in a large coup. They free range for the most part but this past oct. one was killed by a hawk so they stayed penned up part of the day through the winter till someone was home to watch them while we were there. They are back to free ranging the hawks have not been seen. I use three layer litter in the coup.

 

[dlhunicorn]

I use three layer litter in the coup.

I am afraid i do not have any idea what that is...is it a deep litter type of system or is it a product (shavings, hay straw, or something else?)

Since you have not wormed your birds I suggest you use the spot-on method with ivomec Eprinex ... it will get several types external parasites tho not all. Here is an article on it:
http://shilala.homestead.com/ivomec.html

Have a really good clean out of your coop and after cleaning well use a permethrin or pyrethrin based spray and treat all the roosts and wall and corners well with it. (I use one that is sold for keeping fleas and such off carpets > make sure there is not one s c r a p of shavings or straw/bedding around that they could later possibly ingest and remove feed and water from the area incl your birds. Let air out well afterwards and replace with clean litter/bedding) Do not use a straw type bedding/litter >it is hollow and the mice lice can hide in it along with molds and other nasties.

Do you have a pic of the "bald" birds?​