Smelly Chickens?

[colada584]

I recently got some 8-10 week old chickens from a guy who has a large farm. I brought them home and they are in quarantine. I have noticed that they are a little smelly. It almost smells like they rolled in poop. I gave them a bath and it didn't take the smell away. My other chickens have never smelt like this, and it is definitely coming from the birds, not the ground where the poop is or anything. Other than the smell, they seem fine, no sickness or anything. They have been in quarantine for a little over 3 weeks and have been stinky the whole time. Any ideas as to why they smell??????

 

[speckledhen]

No idea. If there is a smelly discharge from the nostrils/nares, I'd say Coryza. If the birds themselves are stinky, check for festering wounds, lice/mites, etc. If it's their poop, could be from feed they've been eating, but if it's the birds themselves, hard to say. Healthy chickens do not smell bad (unless pooped on)

 

[chicmom]

The only thing I can think of, from my own experience, was mites or lice......I had purchased a nice pair of Ameraucana from a breeder and they had this odor about them that wasn't very pleasant. In checking them real good, they had red mites. I was unhappy to say the least, but we dusted them real good with Sevin, and they're fine now.

 

[colada584]

AH HA!! It's lice, at least I think. I thought that the bath had taken care of the lice and then I dusted them with DE about a week later. I think I'm going to have my DH pick up some sevin dust on his way home. That is weird that lice would make them stinky. Thanks for the responses!

 

[chicmom]

You are welcome, Colada! I'm always so happy when I get to help someone.