Silkie thread!

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
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Lice and mites are a constant battle.

 

[vfem]

Quote:
x2
Lice and mites are a constant battle.

I order mine a dust bath bowl with DE in it! I also rub them down if I am concerned about mites, which mine have had before. I started adding wood ash to their run from our burn bit... its a great controller of lice and mites.

Though I am sure you may have read all that in the emergency area... and you got all this great advice and knowledge from the people I quoted above... I just wanted to say, lice & mites are common problems and are treatable. Be vigilant!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I have not found DE to be helpful in controlling lice or mites. Sevin or permethrin dust is. I do not have wood ash available to me, but I have never heard anyone state that it is ineffective, as is frequently said about DE (which most people seem to either love or hate--not much middle ground--I do find DE effective at drying, but less so than Sweet PDZ).

My personal choice is a flea/tick (or human lice for a bad infestation) shampoo, but cold weather is generally not a good time for bathing birds unless you can keep them inside under a heat lamp for at least 24 hours afterwards. Second choice, when a bath is contraindicated by weather is a flea/tick spray. In both cases I prefer one with an insect growth regulator, giving the treatment a residual effect.

 

[sandiklaws]

New question. I live in New England and the temps have been in the teens or lower the past couple of days, my birds have a heated waterer which is alternated with plain/vitamin water each fill, they also have a auto feeder that is kept full of layer pellets and has garlic and D.E. added once a month. They also get dried mealworms, hulled sunflower seeds, table scraps, fruits and veggies for treats. I have a Aug hatch black silky pullet from My Pet Chicken, Merek vaccinated stock. She is the only survivor out of 5, (the others have been gone for months. all taken by hawks), lives with a bunch of similarly aged Salmon Faverolles that pretty much ignore her (they act like she isn't there 99% of the time). She goes in and out w/ the other birds, easily goes up and down the natural branches that are used for perches and also manages the shelving unit (covered w/ straw) that the big girls use as a nest-box, until 4 days ago when she started to have to be "found" to go in at night- nothing seemed to be wrong physically with her until yesterday when she was on her side and seemed unable to get up when I walked over to her (she was in the sun eating in that position almost as comfortable as if she was sunbathing). She was inside the coop on the floor which has a inch thick rubber mat, 4 " of shavings, and quite a bit of straw creating at least 6" of cushioning. I worry that she has injured herself. She is now residing in luxury in a rabbit cage in my kitchen, eating and drinking (and getting treats) very well, but occasionally her legs go straight out behind her and she cannot get them back under her (it has nothing to do with the floor surface because it happens on carpet, straw and shavings). She seems unconcerned about this situation and will eat in this weird position. I gently tied some gauze around her legs and feet, restraining them in a more "normal" resting position for a few hours and it seemed to help some but she is still moving far from normal.She has not "stood" since I found her. There doesn't seem to be any sign of her having egg issues- I have had experience with that in the past with Belgium Quail Antwerp. Any info or suggestions would be appreciated greatly, as we have gotten quite found of our little T baby.

p.s. The other birds are fine- in fact we just got another new layer egg this am

 

[ultasol]

I second what Sonoran said, DE is NOT a treatment for lice, mites, etc. If you have enough mites to NOTICE them, you need to treat them. Here are some options: pour on ivermectin, injectible ivermectin, permethrin sprays/dips, flea/tick shampoo, frontline spray, sevin dust, permethrin dust, etc.

It seems like the bigger the crest, the better the cushion, the easier it is for the mites to hide out and set up shop. Unless a bird had lice bad enough to have scabs I wouldn't ask for a refund. Mites/lice under control could have gained a foothold when the bird was stressed during shipping. Eggs could be stimulated to hatch by temperature changes in shipping. I would love to think I could be 100% mite free all of the time, and it's unrealistic. I haven't had lice yet, but with the wild birds, the fact I show, etc it might pop up some day, at which point I will treat. The main thing is to walk through and check your birds for them, if you find an infested bird in one pen you might want to treat all the birds in that pen.

I've had good luck keeping the scaly leg mites away, but the little buggers are a PITA.

 

[ultasol]

Another thing to keep in mind is that, unless you saw the mites (not feather dust, but MOVING mites/lice) when you purchased them they could have been picked up or had an infestation return since purchase. Mites happen. Wild birds, other birds, your clothing, etc can all act as vectors or fomites to transfer the critters. An IPM instructor of mine would say, "We are all critter busses. You pass through a greenhouse, now the next greenhouse you go into might pick up any pests from the first greenhouse. A leaf brushes your clothing, a possible point of transmission, the insect flies, aerial spores release, you touch the soil where a soil pathogen lies, you are now the vector..."

Mites and lice are part of having chickens. In my area the problem has been more mites than lice. Keep some permethrin or sevin dust on hand as well as some adams flea and tick bath. They work wonders.

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[ThePolishPrincess]

Quote:
x2
Lice and mites are a constant battle.

X3!

I bought my first 'nice' Silkies from a guy who seemed to know what he was doing and very obviously loved his birds. They even smelled nice when I bought them, like they had just received baths, which they may have. About 2 weeks after we brought them home, we noticed they had mites on them. I contacted the seller and, thinking better of the guy, decided to call to warn him that there are mites hosting on his flock. He thanked me and told me what he did to take care of the beasts; which was bathing the bird in a certain type of human-lice shampoo. The shampoo didn't work on our birds so we used Sevin dust and slowly the issue was resolved. I think it's hard to catch every little issue that happens when you have alot of birds. I only have about 25 chickens total and sometimes we just have 'sessions' where issues seem to rise and everything gets very complicated. I agree that it is a seller's responsibility to know what they are selling but the owner should always be on the lookout. This situation could be an honest mistake, as I like to think better of people than those who will sell others infested birds. It's also a buyer-beware thing. Now I know to check all birds before I bring them home. Mites and lice are common, but the methods used to get rid of them are usually pretty straight-forward.

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

Have the answer about getting rid of lice, I go to shows and yes you really take a chance of picking them up,
Put one drop of Front line on Bantam, One drop under each wing . one drop behind neck and one drop on back just before oil gland by tail.
I have used every othe thing I can think of and had chickens staggering so much poison, gosh it works!!!!
Now you are not suppost to eat eggs for awhile, I do not know how long but they will still be fertile and healthy chicks.

 

[sandiklaws]

Hello silky folk! Update on my silky: she is still eating her head off, bright eyed and cannot stand. Her co-ordination seems to be improving some- either that or she is adapting to her problem better. I am still putting her in "traction" when her legs are straight out behind her and it seems to be helping but who knows. I am hoping to hear a few suggestions from all of the knowlegable silky folk here.
Thanks
Sandi

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I had a pullet that this happened to. Both legs were paralyzed but she still was eating and drinking. It was very tough but over about a week, they gradually started moving again. Within two weeks she was walking around the room and was out with her buddies by day 18. Still doing great.

I thought it might be botulism which gives off a toxin that causes paralysis. Google it and see if you think her symptoms fit.