Silkie isn't eating and acting "sad"

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LazytownChick

LazytownChick

Songster
5 Years
Jun 9, 2018
105
235
167
Minnesota
I noticed that my 2 year old silkie was acting anti-social over the weekend and keeping to herself. I checked her over and I noticed she's thinner than normal, her crop wasn't full like the others, and I saw tiny white bugs on her which I think are lice. To make things worse, the lowest ranking hen has been bullying her so I think she lost her rank. I got permethrin powder and dusted all the chickens yesterday. I also brought her inside so she can recover without getting picked on. I gave her electrolytes in her water but she doesn't seem interested in eating or drinking. She looks normal other than being a little thin. I'm going to give her NutriDrench today to see if that will help get her appetite back. My daughter thinks she looks "sad".

Is there anything else I should be checking for? How often should I dust them?
 
I think you should also treat the coop. Hope your silkie is well soon! I haven't dealt with mites or lice, but I understand it can make them lethargic from reading some of the posts here. Someone will be along to say when to retreat. You will need to to get the hatched eggs as permethrin doesn't kill those. I think it's a week...but, let's see what others say.
 
LazytownChick said:
I noticed that my 2 year old silkie was acting anti-social over the weekend and keeping to herself. I checked her over and I noticed she's thinner than normal, her crop wasn't full like the others, and I saw tiny white bugs on her which I think are lice. To make things worse, the lowest ranking hen has been bullying her so I think she lost her rank. I got permethrin powder and dusted all the chickens yesterday. I also brought her inside so she can recover without getting picked on. I gave her electrolytes in her water but she doesn't seem interested in eating or drinking. She looks normal other than being a little thin. I'm going to give her NutriDrench today to see if that will help get her appetite back. My daughter thinks she looks "sad".

Is there anything else I should be checking for? How often should I dust them?
Click to expand...



Have you checked her poop?
And abdomen ?
Maybe there's something egg related or reproductive Infection related
 
You need to treat the birds and the coop at 7 day intervals, usually at least 3 times, to get all the eggs that continue to hatch. Lice tend to stay more on the birds, mites hide in the nooks and crannies of the coop. Clean out all bedding and nesting materials and dispose of (burn if possible) and spray the interior of the coop with a permethrin spray.
Lice and mites can cause them to be anemic and weaken them, but also often lice or mites will find a bird that is weakened by something else, so check her over well for any other signs of any problems. This is also the time of year for molt which can make them feel unwell sometimes too, any pin feathers coming in anywhere to indicate molt?. Make sure she has no injuries, check for any discharge from eyes/beak/nares, check crop function (should be full after eating, should be empty first think in the morning before eating or drinking), look for any abdominal bloating, and see what droppings look like. If you have a vet that will do a fecal for you that would ID or eliminate internal parasites as a possibility. Hopefully by giving her a good going over you can identify or eliminate any other possibilities. You can give her some poultry nutri drench, it will give her a bit of a boost and may help with appetite.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
 
coach723 said:
You need to treat the birds and the coop at 7 day intervals, usually at least 3 times, to get all the eggs that continue to hatch. Lice tend to stay more on the birds, mites hide in the nooks and crannies of the coop. Clean out all bedding and nesting materials and dispose of (burn if possible) and spray the interior of the coop with a permethrin spray.
Lice and mites can cause them to be anemic and weaken them, but also often lice or mites will find a bird that is weakened by something else, so check her over well for any other signs of any problems. This is also the time of year for molt which can make them feel unwell sometimes too, any pin feathers coming in anywhere to indicate molt?. Make sure she has no injuries, check for any discharge from eyes/beak/nares, check crop function (should be full after eating, should be empty first think in the morning before eating or drinking), look for any abdominal bloating, and see what droppings look like. If you have a vet that will do a fecal for you that would ID or eliminate internal parasites as a possibility. Hopefully by giving her a good going over you can identify or eliminate any other possibilities. You can give her some poultry nutri drench, it will give her a bit of a boost and may help with appetite.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice and link! I can burn the pine shavings from the hen house but should I remove all the dirt and sand from the run area too?
 
Not necessary to remove dirt and sand from the run, just bedding and nesting material from the coop where the bugs and their eggs may be. Hopefully she will start perking up once the lice or mites are gone. Might be a good idea to weigh her regularly for a while to make sure she doesn't keep losing weight. If it's molt, then upping the protein in the diet can help with growth of new feathers.
 

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