The road less traveled...back to good health! They have lice, mites, scale mites, worms, anemia, gl

[amenfarm]

Dawn dish washing liquid works the same if you want to go that route. Actually, any soap works the same...my grandma used lye soap in her dishwater and gave that to the hogs and chickens.

A drop or two of dish detergent never killed anybody....I used to use it to swipe on my boys' tongues when they said words they were not supposed to say. They all tower over me now and are healthy as horses.

I use Dawn (blue only)all the time, be sure to NEVER use a antibacterial soap. The orange contains citus which you can't use on dogs, and dawn works well to remove grease from our dogs coats when they are helping my husband work on the cars, also works if you use a spot on flea product and your animal has a reaction, works on puppies or kitten to remove fleas when they are under 6 weeks and you can't do anything else--in all the cases add the dawn to the water first--then suds the animal. When my soil won't soak in water(just runs off, usually because i forgot to water it) I put a few drops of dawn in the water and pour it over the soil--reconditioned. I clean off poopy eggs in it as well.

 

[Beekissed]

Ideally, one would be able to slide the chicken into the gadget from the side, pull up on the legs and dislocate the neck, flip the bird and slide a leg into the same space and perform the bleed out at the neck. Needs to support the weight of the bird and the pull on the bird at time of dislocation. I had to hold the bird's head in the "V" of the tailgate cable and could only pull on the legs with the one hand...while bending over. Hard to control the action in this manner but still better than using a broom stick.

 

[Pullet Surprise]

Desparate times call for desparate measures....chickens gotta trick or treat too! You got tricked...

It could have been worse~they could have lit a tiny pile of poo on your porch.

Or smeared it on your windows....and how about "egging" cars???? She got off easy!!!!

 

[familycomp3]

I am srry to bother this thread but I see alot of people here who seem to be helpful (especially the original postee of this thread) I am desperate and sad and truly CANNOT afford the $90 for a vet just to come out, nevermind whatever treatment. Its a long story so I am sorry,

I have wanted chickens a very long time. Been collecting FREE wood for month and all other materials needed for a coop. From wood to wire, to tyvek and even metal roofing. As my husband was grabbing some wood from a building demo down the road another person pulled up for some as well and asked what it was for and my husband told him, and then this man proceeded to tell my husband about this lady that has some chickens he thinks she would part with for free.

I called her 2 weeks later on a whim (this was 3.5 weeks ago) because I was sick of waiting and I THREW a coop together. It was really quite impressive for my little 110lb self. Lifting 5x8' sheets of plywood. I am sure it was a sight to behold. So I went to get hte chickens and she let me barrow a HUGE dog kennel to transport and trusted I would bring it back, she had them all picked and packed before I got there. She filled my head with TONS of useful info (and some stuff I THOUGHT was not quite right too..like, dont clean out their coop ALL winter as the poo generates heat) UM...NO THANKS I was thinking! Now ALL the 6 hens looked GREAT 3 1.5 yr old buff orpington all laying and all plump but one really. The one that was NOT SO PLUMP I asked why she (and only she) was missing some feathers on her back. She said they just finished their molt and that they should grow in soon. One of the other ones that looked very healthy was over sprayed with purple paint and she told me she got int he way as she was trying to spray her rooster (NO IDEA WHAT ANY OF THAT MEANT, BUT OK) Then she gave me 3 - 4 month old white rocks. They all look good, a little small and they do NOT lay YET, but they are young still.

After 3 days of them being cooped up I FINALLY let them out (HEY, I FELT bad, I couldnt leave them in there for 1 whole week. You should have seen her coop. I GOOD sized fenced in basically MUD PIT, with a small camper for shetler for them) So I felt bad leaving them in their new 5'x8'x3' coop. I knew I would free range them so the small size is not an issue, and they really LOVED it as ALL THREE hens already laying were giving me eggs EVERY DAY! When I returned the dog crate even she was like "WOW, they must be happy" Then I went to a local agway and bought a GREAT looking rooster. I threw him right in with the free range hens and the first night he would not go in the coop. Okay, so he stayed out and every night thereafter they all went in together. They do EXACTLY as they should in the yard. The rooster leads the flock. I have foudn gREAT GREAT joy in watching them and seeing just how smart they truly are.

So 2.5 weeks ago I noticed these white spot forming on my normally healthy looking roosters wattle, but I only had him 3 days when I FIRST started to see these. EVERYTHING I was looking up showed BLACK spots so I have asked my farmer friends. 2 days later emailed the Agway I got the rooster from with pictures, and then called the vet (THEY CALLED ME THREE DAYS LATER MAY I ADD) Agway said I coudl return him but I really just wanted to know what was wrong, and SOLVE IT!! I LIKE my rooster and YES got attached in just a short week! So I kept him. After a few days so 2 weeks ago they began to turn black. The VET AND the agway place thought pox since they went white to black and at that point was flicking his head from aggrevation or pain I suspect Avian pox? The vet would have to come out at $90 to actually diagnose and provide medicine at additional cost. She suggested I wait it out at that point even since the roosters spots where drying and he was eating and drinking as he should.

Then a week ago I noticed the hen that was lacking some back feathers was now losing LOTS of feathers AND WEIGHT! And my rooster was too losing weight now, though I dont see he eats any All the hens crowns and wattles have looked great until TODAY! I see tiny spots here and there on ALL the buff orpingtons crowns, and their eyes are turning white and like foaming at the eyes, the one that was losing LOTS of feathers pretty mcuh lost 40% of them JUST LASTNIGHT and her and my rooster look so small all of a sudden. Pooping constantly with a mix of sometimes more solid and other times diarhea. That goes back and forth. They still act as usual, really except ALL EGG LAYING HAS DECEASED AS OF THIS WEEK! NO EGGS SINCE SATURDAY WHERE THERE WHERE 2 EGGS WITH A SMALLEST AMT OF BLOOD ON THE EGGS BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY BLOOD!

What the hey do I DO? :C I can hardly even look at them I feel this huge feeling of guilt, like I should have never done this. I was too uneducated. BUT I KNOW PLENTLY of people who have had chickens for years and nNEVER HAVE THEY EVER had an issue like this. I have cleaned my coop ... YES... now 5 times in the 3.5 weeks. Built them a new coop (well someone else did Its twice the size just better overall (that was saturday, so at first I wondered if it was stress from the new coop) We collect feathers of there and there are so so many all over my yard as it now also looks like the other 2 buffs are going to loose thier feather too because they look...LOOSE? If that makes any sense. So anyways...the feather, I have never noticed anything on them as I have the kids check them WELL but yesterday we picked up a feather with one red little spider looking thing. It was so so tiny. Was that a mite? It was the only one I have seen and I have held the chickens on MORE than one occassion.

ANY INSITE would be GREAT! NATURAL WAYS TO HEAL THEM!! Especially if you can save my flock AND save me $90 as I just did not EVER EXPECT a flock of chickens could succum to such horrible illness. It kills my heart to see them like this. HELP

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah, I guess I'll just keep an eye on her. I hate the feeling of not knowing what's wrong with her or not being able to do anything for her. I'll hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.
No, I don't think so, just cuz she's only about 5 months old, give or take.
When I last saw her the previously closed eye was open and looked bright and clear. She doesn't sound congested that I can tell. I'll see if I can tell if there's any odd sounds from her when she hits the roost tonight.

Thanks all!

At 5 months I'd say she isn't molting. sorry not a molt that would make her feel bad anyway.

 

[20736]

this sounds like a moult to me. They go through it on a regular basis, usually triggered by changes in daylight, but it can be triggered by changes like moving as well.
Let's see what some other folks say.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am srry to bother this thread but I see alot of people here who seem to be helpful (especially the original postee of this thread) I am desperate and sad and truly CANNOT afford the $90 for a vet just to come out, nevermind whatever treatment. Its a long story so I am sorry,

I have wanted chickens a very long time. Been collecting FREE wood for month and all other materials needed for a coop. From wood to wire, to tyvek and even metal roofing. As my husband was grabbing some wood from a building demo down the road another person pulled up for some as well and asked what it was for and my husband told him, and then this man proceeded to tell my husband about this lady that has some chickens he thinks she would part with for free.

I called her 2 weeks later on a whim (this was 3.5 weeks ago) because I was sick of waiting and I THREW a coop together. It was really quite impressive for my little 110lb self. Lifting 5x8' sheets of plywood. I am sure it was a sight to behold. So I went to get hte chickens and she let me barrow a HUGE dog kennel to transport and trusted I would bring it back, she had them all picked and packed before I got there. She filled my head with TONS of useful info (and some stuff I THOUGHT was not quite right too..like, dont clean out their coop ALL winter as the poo generates heat) UM...NO THANKS I was thinking! Now ALL the 6 hens looked GREAT 3 1.5 yr old buff orpington all laying and all plump but one really. The one that was NOT SO PLUMP I asked why she (and only she) was missing some feathers on her back. She said they just finished their molt and that they should grow in soon. One of the other ones that looked very healthy was over sprayed with purple paint and she told me she got int he way as she was trying to spray her rooster (NO IDEA WHAT ANY OF THAT MEANT, BUT OK) Then she gave me 3 - 4 month old white rocks. They all look good, a little small and they do NOT lay YET, but they are young still.

After 3 days of them being cooped up I FINALLY let them out (HEY, I FELT bad, I couldnt leave them in there for 1 whole week. You should have seen her coop. I GOOD sized fenced in basically MUD PIT, with a small camper for shetler for them) So I felt bad leaving them in their new 5'x8'x3' coop. I knew I would free range them so the small size is not an issue, and they really LOVED it as ALL THREE hens already laying were giving me eggs EVERY DAY! When I returned the dog crate even she was like "WOW, they must be happy" Then I went to a local agway and bought a GREAT looking rooster. I threw him right in with the free range hens and the first night he would not go in the coop. Okay, so he stayed out and every night thereafter they all went in together. They do EXACTLY as they should in the yard. The rooster leads the flock. I have foudn gREAT GREAT joy in watching them and seeing just how smart they truly are.

So 2.5 weeks ago I noticed these white spot forming on my normally healthy looking roosters wattle, but I only had him 3 days when I FIRST started to see these. EVERYTHING I was looking up showed BLACK spots so I have asked my farmer friends. 2 days later emailed the Agway I got the rooster from with pictures, and then called the vet (THEY CALLED ME THREE DAYS LATER MAY I ADD) Agway said I coudl return him but I really just wanted to know what was wrong, and SOLVE IT!! I LIKE my rooster and YES got attached in just a short week! So I kept him. After a few days so 2 weeks ago they began to turn black. The VET AND the agway place thought pox since they went white to black and at that point was flicking his head from aggrevation or pain I suspect Avian pox? The vet would have to come out at $90 to actually diagnose and provide medicine at additional cost. She suggested I wait it out at that point even since the roosters spots where drying and he was eating and drinking as he should.

Then a week ago I noticed the hen that was lacking some back feathers was now losing LOTS of feathers AND WEIGHT! And my rooster was too losing weight now, though I dont see he eats any All the hens crowns and wattles have looked great until TODAY! I see tiny spots here and there on ALL the buff orpingtons crowns, and their eyes are turning white and like foaming at the eyes, the one that was losing LOTS of feathers pretty mcuh lost 40% of them JUST LASTNIGHT and her and my rooster look so small all of a sudden. Pooping constantly with a mix of sometimes more solid and other times diarhea. That goes back and forth. They still act as usual, really except ALL EGG LAYING HAS DECEASED AS OF THIS WEEK! NO EGGS SINCE SATURDAY WHERE THERE WHERE 2 EGGS WITH A SMALLEST AMT OF BLOOD ON THE EGGS BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY BLOOD!

What the hey do I DO? :C I can hardly even look at them I feel this huge feeling of guilt, like I should have never done this. I was too uneducated. BUT I KNOW PLENTLY of people who have had chickens for years and nNEVER HAVE THEY EVER had an issue like this. I have cleaned my coop ... YES... now 5 times in the 3.5 weeks. Built them a new coop (well someone else did Its twice the size just better overall (that was saturday, so at first I wondered if it was stress from the new coop) We collect feathers of there and there are so so many all over my yard as it now also looks like the other 2 buffs are going to loose thier feather too because they look...LOOSE? If that makes any sense. So anyways...the feather, I have never noticed anything on them as I have the kids check them WELL but yesterday we picked up a feather with one red little spider looking thing. It was so so tiny. Was that a mite? It was the only one I have seen and I have held the chickens on MORE than one occassion.

ANY INSITE would be GREAT! NATURAL WAYS TO HEAL THEM!! Especially if you can save my flock AND save me $90 as I just did not EVER EXPECT a flock of chickens could succum to such horrible illness. It kills my heart to see them like this. HELP

This sounds like one for BeeK I'll just say I'm so sorry your having to go through this with you new flock and hope BK can help.

 

[Beekissed]

It sounds like they may have a number of things....if you start trying to treat for all these things you will drive yourself mad! The pictures alone are frightening enough on some of these diseases, so I advise folks to not even go there.

The facts are that you got some chickens and they have multiple symptoms/problems. If you don't want to cull the whole mob and start with good, healthy birds~which you obviously did not start with~that's one option. The lady doesn't sound like she knows jack squat about chickens and are raising them and treating them like the typical backyarder on this forum...always results in having to treat, spray bare skin with something, explain away feather loss, etc.

From now on you might as well get chicks from the hatchery...at least those most likely won't arrive already carrying disease. You poor thing! But...I'm afraid that is what happens when folks rush into keeping chickens. No matter..what is done is done. Now, let's start coming up with solutions if we can.

I can only tell you what I would do....stop cleaning your coop. Start a deep litter system but do it properly...this lady sounds like she doesn't know what a healthy environment for chickens should look like. Mud pits are not the way to go.

Deep litter....start reading up on chickens now if you want to learn this thing and be able to keep them healthy. Read your little eyeballs out!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

Do start giving them mother vinegar....Krogers and Walmart now have some.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...osis-and-other-poultry-diseases-in-chicks-acv

Any lesions on the combs and wattles should be soothed with a coat of NuStock...also can go on bare skin. I'd treat any exposed skin, combs, wattles, around their buttholes and on their legs and feet:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=nustock

After you get the vinegar(Apple Cider Vinegar), put some feed in a bucket, soak it down with water, add some ACV to it and let it sit in warm place(room temp is fine) for a few days, give it a stir now and again and add water when it all gets soaked up. Don't be alarmed if it has a white/grey film on top...this should be happening. It should smell sour.... Then get some in these birds...sounds like they could use some good probios feed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

What little feathers they do have can be dusted well with wood ashes to discourage skin mites or lice.

I know this sounds like the same old formula for health but it covers a lot of bases....Nustock for skin and mite problems, ACV and fermented feeds for immune system health, probiotics and electrolyte replacement, ashes for smothering the mites/lice, and deep litter to cultivate a coop environment that will be a place that actually improves the chicken's health and provides places for bugs that prey on parasite larvae. Deep litter is more than just not cleaning out the coop for a long time, so your lady is probably doing it wrong if her birds look and act like this.

If you want to keep these birds and don't want to continually be treating, you need to provide comfort for the things that hurt or itch, immune system boosters for the viral or bacterial illnesses, and start building a good environment inside the birds and in their environment to prevent further problems. If you don't have lots of free flowing air in your coop right now, get it. Free range is good if you have adequate protection for them while they are out on it.

It doesn't really matter what they have, really, because this formula will either take care of it or they will die anyway. Be patient, keep them comfortable and let time and good methods bring them around. If any one bird is suffering too much, put it out of its misery.

That's it...in a nutshell. I know that's a lot to absorb but it's really the only thing that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg, will give your birds the best chance of restored health and will weed the good chickens from the bad.

Good luck!!!!

 

[familycomp3]

It sounds like they may have a number of things....if you start trying to treat for all these things you will drive yourself mad! The pictures alone are frightening enough on some of these diseases, so I advise folks to not even go there.

The facts are that you got some chickens and they have multiple symptoms/problems. If you don't want to cull the whole mob and start with good, healthy birds~which you obviously did not start with~that's one option. The lady doesn't sound like she knows jack squat about chickens and are raising them and treating them like the typical backyarder on this forum...always results in having to treat, spray bare skin with something, explain away feather loss, etc.

From now on you might as well get chicks from the hatchery...at least those most likely won't arrive already carrying disease. You poor thing! But...I'm afraid that is what happens when folks rush into keeping chickens. No matter..what is done is done. Now, let's start coming up with solutions if we can.

I can only tell you what I would do....stop cleaning your coop. Start a deep litter system but do it properly...this lady sounds like she doesn't know what a healthy environment for chickens should look like. Mud pits are not the way to go.

Deep litter....start reading up on chickens now if you want to learn this thing and be able to keep them healthy. Read your little eyeballs out!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

Do start giving them mother vinegar....Krogers and Walmart now have some.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...osis-and-other-poultry-diseases-in-chicks-acv

Any lesions on the combs and wattles should be soothed with a coat of NuStock...also can go on bare skin. I'd treat any exposed skin, combs, wattles, around their buttholes and on their legs and feet:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=nustock

After you get the vinegar(Apple Cider Vinegar), put some feed in a bucket, soak it down with water, add some ACV to it and let it sit in warm place(room temp is fine) for a few days, give it a stir now and again and add water when it all gets soaked up. Don't be alarmed if it has a white/grey film on top...this should be happening. It should smell sour.... Then get some in these birds...sounds like they could use some good probios feed.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/644300/fermenting-feed-for-meat-birds

What little feathers they do have can be dusted well with wood ashes to discourage skin mites or lice.

I know this sounds like the same old formula for health but it covers a lot of bases....Nustock for skin and mite problems, ACV and fermented feeds for immune system health, probiotics and electrolyte replacement, ashes for smothering the mites/lice, and deep litter to cultivate a coop environment that will be a place that actually improves the chicken's health and provides places for bugs that prey on parasite larvae. Deep litter is more than just not cleaning out the coop for a long time, so your lady is probably doing it wrong if her birds look and act like this.

If you want to keep these birds and don't want to continually be treating, you need to provide comfort for the things that hurt or itch, immune system boosters for the viral or bacterial illnesses, and start building a good environment inside the birds and in their environment to prevent further problems. If you don't have lots of free flowing air in your coop right now, get it. Free range is good if you have adequate protection for them while they are out on it.

It doesn't really matter what they have, really, because this formula will either take care of it or they will die anyway. Be patient, keep them comfortable and let time and good methods bring them around. If any one bird is suffering too much, put it out of its misery.

That's it...in a nutshell. I know that's a lot to absorb but it's really the only thing that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg, will give your birds the best chance of restored health and will weed the good chickens from the bad.

Good luck!!!!

THANK YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH!! YOUR INFORMATION IS AMAZING...and HOPEFULLY, HELPFUL AS WELL! TREATMENT WILL BEGIN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING! I AM ANXIOUS TO BEGIN!! THANKS AGAIN!!

Oh, and is it likely that they have had the mites all along or can they be picked up pretty easily from around the yard? Is this something that can just come and go over the years. Its funny because they actually play around in our wood ashes that we dump from our woodstove onto the hillside, and wondered if that was bad for them. THEY LOVE IT! Is that the same thing I am thinking? Like the ashes I scoop out of my woodstove?

AND KNOW....I WILL NEVER EVER take someones "FREE" chickens again! NEVERRRR

 

[Beekissed]

We've all been there, done that! The last time I had mites in my flock was from taking on someone's unwanted, free chickens. Lesson learned but sometimes it happens and you cannot help it...like this nasty, horny rooster I've got now.

No one should expect to have recurring mites/lice, so, no, they shouldn't be just having them from time to time. I'm sure they brought them along for the ride...she was explaining away feather loss.

There's molting and then there are bare backs, bald patches and blue kote sprayed on wounds or bloody places...not regular signs of molt and young birds should not be molting like that.

You will do just fine and before you go any further, why not take some good, close pics so you can document the changes for the good? Helps others learn and keeps this thread going with good information.

I'd take some of your ashes and dust them really well by hand, working them deeply into the skin and make sure to put some NuStock on any nits at the feather bases...look around the butt, head, etc.

Please let us know how it all goes? We will be anxiously awaiting the outcome....