Sick Chickens

[MarshallW]

Hi,
We have recently had a lot of our chickens fall I’ll. They all have similar symptoms and I do not want this to spread to other chickens. We have had problems with lice and vent gleet since we got them from their previous home. We have tried bathing them in Epsom salts and we have also tried DE and Vaseline for the lice which have seemed to work a small amount. However, some of the chickens have been becoming lathargic, not moving and they have a pale colour on their comb. The droppings are very watery.
Is this just old age or do we have a parasitic infestation?
Thanks,
Marshall

 

[DobieLover]

Can you please post pictures of some of the birds?
How old are they?
What is their normal diet?
Vent gleet is not THAT common that multiple members of a flock would have it.
Have you checked crop function to see of the crop is full at night and flat in the morning?
Have you checked for fluid build up between the legs?
Have you experienced conditions that would promote internal parasite infestation? Can you take a mixed fecal sample to the vet for them to float?
Do they have scaly leg mites or lice? You don't treat lice with DE or Vaseline. DE doesn't treat anything. If they have lice, get a bottle of poultry spray with PERMETHRIN and treat them with that by spraying under each wing, under the vent, at the base of the tail on their backs, on their chest and under the hackles on the backs of their necks getting down to the skin with each site.
What is their coop/run like? Can you please post pictures of that too?

 

[MarshallW]

Can you please post pictures of some of the birds?
How old are they?
What is their normal diet?
Vent gleet is not THAT common that multiple members of a flock would have it.
Have you checked crop function to see of the crop is full at night and flat in the morning?
Have you checked for fluid build up between the legs?
Have you experienced conditions that would promote internal parasite infestation? Can you take a mixed fecal sample to the vet for them to float?
Do they have scaly leg mites or lice? You don't treat lice with DE or Vaseline. DE doesn't treat anything. If they have lice, get a bottle of poultry spray with PERMETHRIN and treat them with that by spraying under each wing, under the vent, at the base of the tail on their backs, on their chest and under the hackles on the backs of their necks getting down to the skin with each site.
What is their coop/run like? Can you please post pictures of that too?

Hi,
Thanks for your reply.
To be honest we have no idea how old they are! We got them of a friend who was no longer able to keep them. They are mature birds and we have had them around a year with no issues. Their diet is Layers Pellets and they are free range so whatever else they dig up. I can’t post pictures as of yet as I am currently not home. I have read that vent gleet can be spread by a cockerel which is how I suspected it had spread. They do have scaly leg mites which I was treating with Vaseline. I am In the UK and the only thing readily available here is DE, I can’t find permethrin anywhere?! We clean the coop reguarly and make sure to remove droppings and we also disinfect with a coop spray that supposedly kills all the mites in the coop. It feels like we have tried everything so I think going to a vet for a fecal check may be the only option.

 

[DobieLover]

I am In the UK

@Shadrach , what is available for use in this situation?

 

[Shadrach]

Hello MarshallW. As you have found out getting hold of the chemicals one often sees recommended on these forums is a mission in the UK.

Mite and lice treatment.
You can buy this on the internet. It has Permethrin listed as it's only active ingredient. I've used this on chickens and on myself when I got mites in my hair from dealing with an infestation. It works.
https://www.purpleturtle.co.uk/product/lifesystems-ex4-clothing-treatment-350ml-10727/

You can also buy this which I used in Spain. The label is in Spanish but you can see it's permethrin.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Menforsan-Insecticida-Desodorante-Roedores-125-ml/dp/B01MY0JK9U

For Scaly Leg mite in the vast majority of cases I still prefer Vaseline. It is messy but a cut down half inch painters brush makes a good applicator. You'll still get messy but it helps.
I used to mix Vasaline with Iodine at 75% to 25%. I found this worked well but Iodine is hard to find in the UK. I'm trying the same ratio with a cream called Brulidine. Haven't done enough to give a verdict yet.

Last resort, Ivermectin.
I've read a lot of reports that Ivermectin is not effective against internal parasites.
There are egg withdrawral recommendations.
There are dosage complications.
I've used Harkermectin on few chickens now with varying results. Nobody died from the treatment or eating the eggs.
What I can't yet tell you is if Ivermectin is effective for depluming/feather mites.
There are obvious problems with permethrin given the mite lives inside the feather shaft.

https://www.harkersonline.co.uk/product/treatments/harkamectin-parasites/

Worms

Flubenvet.
I've used these pellets but other feed manufacturers make a similar product.
https://www.farmandpetplace.co.uk/s...iages-layers-pellets-with-flubenvet-10kg.html

It's best to dose by hand to ensure correct dosage and for that you need the active ingredient in the above called, Flubendazole.
I've got Flubendazol 1% from a company called Kernfarm.


You can buy Panacur.
You would need to research dosages for the chemical strength you buy.
I haven't used it here in the UK.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panacur-Wo...AEZPHM&psc=1#HLCXComparisonWidget_feature_div

For the coop.
This works. It has two active ingedients in it; one being permethrin.
Not recommended unless a last resort for the birds themselves.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Net-Tex-Re...ment+for+chickens&qid=1636490237&sr=8-15&th=1

It really helps to find the right chemicals on the internet if you know their name and you can compare the strength and dosage to an equivelant product in say the USA.
Searching with chicken in the search terms is mostly a waste of time.

Dosages when treating individual chickens can be fractions of grams.
If you use Flubendazole powder or any other powder knowing the strength of the active chemical at some point this might help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/flubendazole-worming-dosages.75090/

Antibiotics.
Pretend your sick. Get a phone diagnosis and give the antibiotics to the chickens.