Silkie-What's wrong with my wing feathers?

[reereechickens]

I got these 4 Silkies Feb. 21, 2011. When I got them home I noticed their wing feathers looked different from my other chickens. They looked ragged and stringy especially towards the tips. Well I dusted with Sevin dust on Sat. Feb 26. I have them in an isolation coop away from my healthy chicks. So I figured I will take pics of it and today I seen the little red bugs running on them, and white powdery dander looking stuff. So here are my questions and pics.
1. Lice or mites or both?
2. Which is better Ivermectin or Valbazen? How often?
3. Will this be a reoccuring problem or can you REALLY get rid of it? We had to put a dog asleep because he had the kind of mange he was born with and NOTHING worked including Ivermectin. My DH had hunting hounds and put his on Ivermectin so we are familiar with it.

Thanks for any input. My mini rant: I had chickens for a year and NEVER had this problem! I'm sure my flock has worms even though I have NEVER wormed them but I don't want this out of control because if it gets too costly I may have to get rid of them! I got these Silkies from NC AG Review. I figured it would be better quality than CL! NOT!! So far my CL Silkies are fine! I guess this is my live and learn and be more wary of where to get them! DUH!!

 

[reereechickens]

I would like to add that I have started giving the baby vitamins, oatmeal+yogurt, chopped boiled or scambled eggs. Tomorrow they will start the Wazine and lice+mite treatment.

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

where they that way when you got them or after, it looks like something or someone has been chewing on them, not bug damage, but if you see red bugs those are mites, keep them as far away from you other birds as you can, bad news those things, they normally hide in the roosts during the day

 

[reereechickens]

Quote:
They were like this when I got them home. When I got them(from the breeder) I did not look them over, they were very scared and hard to catch!! They still are VERY scared and hate any kind of contact. The breeder had LOTS of other birds so I'm assuming they did not get much attention and care.

Thanks, what else could it be?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think ivermectin would be a good start on the inside and outside parasites.. That what I was using till I found Epernix pour-on and it works the same as Ivermectin but there is no egg withdrawl with the Epernix. Valbazen is a good all round wormer, but you need to take care of those bugs..

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Quote:
for the bugs epernix, from what you say the wing problem should clear up when the molt, that was a problem with over crowding, mites can kill a bird they need to get taken care of first.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I did read on another thread that lice can strip a feather like that. Do you see eggs at the base of the feather?

 

[reereechickens]

Yay Chicks! :

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I did read on another thread that lice can strip a feather like that. Do you see eggs at the base of the feather?

I think I'm seeing eggs or dander on the ?quill? vertical wise on the 3rd pic? You can see the dander on the deer netting I have on top of their coop.​

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Yay Chicks! :

I don't have any personal experience with this, but I did read on another thread that lice can strip a feather like that. Do you see eggs at the base of the feather?

lice strip the lower/by the skin part of the feather not the upper end, plus the lice can-not smash the feather ends like in the pic​

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

You do know that silkies are supposed to have shredded wing feathers, don't you? I agree that the very edges of the buff colored one have almost no feather left, but the splash looks fine.

I would bathe them in Adams flea shampoo and blow them dry. Then apply the Ivomec on their backs. This should be all you need to do for a few weeks. You can powder them with Sevin dust every month or alternate Sevin and Frontline spray (don't spray it...use an eyedropper and drop a few drops on their back and above their vent.