sick chicken

[cluckin rabbits]

I got 7 well summer hens and a roo about a month ago. The birds are 5 months old and the day after I got them I found 1 dead. This afternoon I found 1 laying down unable to stand and eyes mostly closed. I brought it inside it wouldn't eat or drink would kick some and twist its head around now and then and within an hour it was dead. All chickens were fine and active this morning then this.I have looked for answers everywhere with no good match for this so maybe someone here can help me out. I have a barred rock trio and araucana trio in the same pen and am afraid the flock could go this way without attention.

 

[cluckin rabbits]

O.K. so I deiced to destroy the bird with fire then we noticed lots of small white bugs on the hen . I can't seem to match them up to the known pest . You guys got any ideas ?

 

[RussianChickens]

How small? Like flea small? They could be mites/lice. However that would not kill a bird.

if she has them your others probably do too.

Treat them with DE and poultry dust and or 7 dust for the coup and run.

 

[esther5]

hi
it sounds possible the parasites were the cause of death. i have lost several birds to red mite and only just discovered the reason.

lice and mite powder is the same thing so use that. the coop may need treating. if you want to check for red mite, wait till it is dark. go in with a torch and run a paper towel along the perch. if iy has red specks on it then you have red mite. my mistake was i tried this at dusk and all seemed well so i ruled it out as a possibility.
re the coop, the easiest thing i read was using a steam cleaner .i guess you canm follow that up by spraying the coop.
i hope your other chickens will be ok.

 

[cluckin rabbits]

The bugs are smaller than fleas, full grown fleas anyway. I have dusted a week ago with permethrin from the local co-op . I am going to use 7 dust instead. I have looked for all types of pest even in the poo but only the white bugs.

 

[RussianChickens]

hi
it sounds possible the parasites were the cause of death. i have lost several birds to red mite and only just discovered the reason.

lice and mite powder is the same thing so use that. the coop may need treating. if you want to check for red mite, wait till it is dark. go in with a torch and run a paper towel along the perch. if iy has red specks on it then you have red mite. my mistake was i tried this at dusk and all seemed well so i ruled it out as a possibility.
re the coop, the easiest thing i read was using a steam cleaner .i guess you canm follow that up by spraying the coop.
i hope your other chickens will be ok.

Really? Your birds died of mites? Never ever heard of that before. Seams like they would have to be horribly infested and even then how much blood can they actually get out of the chicken? Unless maybe it was a disease they caught from the mites?
Do you know they why and how? I'm very curious.

 

[RussianChickens]

The bugs are smaller than fleas, full grown fleas anyway. I have dusted a week ago with permethrin from the local co-op . I am going to use 7 dust instead. I have looked for all types of pest even in the poo but only the white bugs.

They aren't like a yellowish white like termite color are they? If they are I think we had that on one chicken. They actually looked kind of like termites but real small and impossible to squish.

Have you tried to squish one of these white bugs? If they squish when rubbed between two fingers they aren't mites and rather something on the dead bird. But if they don't squish they are likely mites.

That's the 'flea or bug' test I use when I cant look with a magnifying glass. I'd examine the white bugs closely.

Also check the other live birds for the same thing. And dusting the coup is always good.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Chickens absolutely can die from a long term, heavy mite/lice infestation. Even larger livestock can become anemic and unthrifty if carrying a heavy population of those bugs.

cluckin rabbits: You will need to treat the birds and the coop every 7 to 10 days until you stop seeing bugs. That is their hatch cycle and it is very easy to miss a few, then they just keep reproducing. I would use a spray in the coop, it gets into all the tiny nooks and crannies where the bugs hide better then dusting. I would also use a good Permethrin dust on the birds like Y-Tex Gard Star Garden and Poultry Dust which can be found at Tractor Supply. I would not depend on DE to clear up an infestation.

 

[RussianChickens]

I agree, if you have an infestation I do not believe DE would take care of it. I've had luck with it for my chickens but i've never had an infestation. Just a few bugs on one hen who was isolated anyway. I have poultry dust and 7 dust but have only had to use DE. never had to spray either. I should have stated that DE probably won't do much if you have an infestation.
I dust everything including the birds with DE often, that may be why I have never had a bad case or it could just be that where I live they are less common.



And to cafarmgirl, I always knew animals could become anemic but never knew any could really die, thanks for the info. Gosh, it seams like you couldn't miss an infestation like that! I hope I never have that many mites/lice/fleas on anything ever! They give me the hebijibis! I had one hen with them before and they honestly spaz me out.

Same with parasitic worms, eww!

 

[Fancychooklady]

I use 1 ml of panacur goat wormer externally, on the neck to control internal and external parasites. And yes chickens will eventually secumb to parasites. Knocks their immune system for a 6. " an ounce of prevention , is worth a pound of cure ".