Train Wreck. Please help.

[mochicmama]

So in my newness to owning chickens, last fall I bought some layers from a swap meet. I promise you, I don't need a lecture because boy have I learned my lesson. First my whole flock got infectious bronchitis. So I battled that for a few months. But over time I have noticed my girls getting thinner and there combs getting lighter. I honestly thought it was because winter got cold here this year. Only to learn after treating my rooster for a very bad case of bumblefoot that I have a lice infestation. So I have treated them with ivomec pour on and will do it again at 10 days post the initial treatment. I spent 9 hours cleaning, disinfecting, and spraying their coop with pymetherin. I will repeat this process once a week for a month. So what do I need to do next to get them back to a healthy weight and build their blood back up? Should I worm them, also, since ivomec only treats for roundworms? I haven't seen any evidence of worms but I just want my girls happy and healthy again. Any help would be appreciated. I have heard good things about red cell but I don't know anything about it.Thanks fellow chicken lovers!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you suspect worms, I'd get a fecal sample read first so you know what kind of worms to treat for.
Are any of the hens laying eggs?
I'd probably go with about an 18% grower feed for a while. You're trying to build muscle rather than fat so complete protein (essential amino acids) will move you in that direction. Stay away from things (like scratch) that don't provide optimal nutrition. Perhaps an occasional vitamin/mineral supplement in their water, like Nutri-Drench.
A probiotic never hurts. I use Gro2Max powder in the water.
The probiotics will help them absorb nutrients better and crowd out some of the parasites in the intestine.

I wanted to add that combs will become pale when the birds go out of production as they normally do in autumn and they don't redden up again till laying is imminent - usually after the winter solstice.

 

[ChirpnBern]

Do you have access to wood ashes? We routinely dump them in the dusting hollows. Had been chickenless for a time and started up again, chickens got lousy, sister reminded me that we used to put the ashes in there to prevent lice, so we started doing that again and things are fine again. Was wondering if others do that too. Can`t remember if anyone on here ever mentioned it. I can`t remember who told us about it, it was so long ago. Actually it`s time to dump some more.

I don`t know about or use all the things ChickenCanoe mentioned but that sure sounds like a good plan. I should get some probiotics at least for mine.

Good luck!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Do you have access to wood ashes? We routinely dump them in the dusting hollows. Had been chickenless for a time and started up again, chickens got lousy, sister reminded me that we used to put the ashes in there to prevent lice, so we started doing that again and things are fine again. Was wondering if others do that too. Can`t remember if anyone on here ever mentioned it. I can`t remember who told us about it, it was so long ago. Actually it`s time to dump some more.

I don`t know about or use all the things ChickenCanoe mentioned but that sure sounds like a good plan. I should get some probiotics at least for mine.

Good luck!

Wood ashes is good advice. In wet weather when there's no good dust bathing areas, I put some cement mixing tubs under roof and use a mix of soil, sand, wood ashes and agricultural lime.

I put that Gro2Max powder in all baby chicks first water cause they'd get probiotics from the mother if they ran with a broody. It was developed in Egypt and is formulated specifically for chickens.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

@mochicmama I meant to ask if the birds you bought at the swap were your first birds or did you add them to an existing flock.