Treating flock for mites/fungus & rooster question

[bobbieschicks]

Yesterday I noticed a white substance on my 16 week old pullet's comb and decided after research it was either mites or fungus. I had suspected I might have mites because I've noticed lots of feathers in the coop and what looks like feather shaft crumbles in the sand in the manure box. But I haven't ruled out favus yet.

So I treated my coop and whole flock today with Sevin dust for mites - cleaned everything out, wiped it down and replaced the bedding with pine shavings and sprayed the whole coop with Poultry Protector that I allowed to dry before putting down the new bedding. The chicks have a DE dust bath container and there's sand in the run already to bathe in.

I also treated the ladies legs for fungus/mites and sprayed their legs with Tinactin. I managed to catch everyone except my rooster. The best I could do was trap him in the coop and sprinkle the dust on him from about a foot away and spray his legs as he rushed by. He wouldn't let me pick him up or come near me.

Since doing that around lunch time I've noticed that the rooster's comb is now speckled with black dots on the tips and he has some white stuff on his comb now too by the head in the crevice areas. How can I better treat him as he won't let me come closer and frankly I'm not sure I want to get that close to him.

I'll try to take a picture tomorrow of their issues if they will let me get close. Everyone was pretty POd at me afterwards.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Go in there at night and grab him. I use a shallow cardboard box lined with a plastic garbage bag. I set the chicken inside it, legs up in the air. Then I take an old sock tied off at the top filled with dust and powder puff under the wings and around the vent (and everywhere except the face). I get them dusted very well. Oh and make sure you are wearing gloves, mask, long sleeves, and take shower afterwards.

Repeat in 10 days or it will start all over.

For scaly leg I dip their legs in mineral oil (you didn't mention if you have those too, so I'm just adding it in) for two weeks, daily.

You can use a long-handled fishing net to catch chickens in the daytime (I do). Been there done that with not getting one or a few done...the mites will spread to the others.

Also you have to get rid of the bedding each time so go light on it until you are free from it. I have switched to only using sweetPDZ on my coop floor and scrape it every day. Every time I try to use pine shavings on the floor I get mites really bad. I use them in the nest boxes without trouble, though.

http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0018.html

 

[rbaker0345]

I would put some sevin in the spot he likes to dust himself the most.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Thanks for the suggestions. I went out to check on everyone a few minutes ago and the rooster was wide awake. I could probably sneak in tomorrow night and dust him better. I did manage to sprinkle sevin on his wings, butt and back areas. And I got maim good with the foot spray. But I would really like him to trust me and just let me pick him up. Don't think that will happen though

I put all the big bag of pine down.. Guess that wasn't too smart. I have a vinyl floor and use the shavings for a deep litter method on the floor with DE sprinkled on it. The roosts are over a sand filled Manure board. I think that is where the mites are hiding. I put the sevin in there too and scraped it into the sand. And I sprayed Poultry Protector on the board. My son washed down the roost boards with Lysol wipes. I will treat again - is it in 10 days?

I wonder if the white is just dry comb. I thought I would put some olive oil on them tomorrow. I figured I would it it on their legs and combs to keep mites away and protect from dry weather.

I'll look into mineral oil as well. I could probably spray that on him as well.
Thanks again!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Quote:
He does like to hang out in the front of the coop and scoot on the floor. I'll put some extra sevin there tomorrow. Thanks.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Today I also replaced their water and added Wazine 17 to it as they had not been wormed previously. I also put Wazine in the baby chick's water.

I managed to baste everyone's combs and legs with olive oil using my pastry brush and I got everyone except the rooster who will get his tonight after dark when i sneak back out there to treat him. The white spot on Snow White's comb did not disappear or wipe off when I rubbed the oil on. She is a White leghorn and just turned 17 weeks old this past Saturday. Her comb has doubled in size over the last 14 days. Her comb also looked 100% better just adding the oil to it. It looked less dry and crusty - like maybe she needed the moisture on it.

I can't take a picture today that would be any good because of the overcast skies - but if she still has the white spot in a couple of days when the sun is shining again I'll take a pic and post it.

I also put a big scoopful of DE around the coop where they like to snuggle and hang out inside. They already have a big bowl of DE outside to dust in. When I went out this morning to check on everyone - the rooster and his favorite pullet were under the coop in the dust wallowing around, they were covered in shavings and dirt. I guess they were trying to dust bathe some more.

Do I need to do something different with the baby Silkies? I tried to baste their legs - but with the feathers I'm not sure I was very successful. I read on one thread of something ?Invermin? that people use for cattle - but not sure if I should jump to that or just wait until the Silkies show signs of mites on their legs to treat them with it.

This was my first official freak out event - mites! I know it won't be the last - but at least I'm glad I have a source of info to go to and get help.

Thanks,
Bobbie

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
10 days for the retreatment of mites, yes. Mineral oil to my knowledge will not help favus (fungus). It is used to smother leg mites.

I hope it all works out for you!

 

[bobbieschicks]

These are the best pictures I could get of the rooster and older pullet with white on her comb. When it's sunnier I'll get someone to hold them and take a better picture if possible.

Snow White, 17 week old WL pullet, she's been dusted for mites and had olive oil massaged/painted on her comb in this pic and you can still see some white on her comb. Her comb has doubled in height in the past 2 weeks and has gone from yellowish to darker pink/red in that time as well.

Here she is at 16 weeks old

My 17 week old WL Roo Foghorn, he's been partially dusted and had tinactin sprayed on his legs - but not thoroughly. I intend to treat him tonight after dark (I hope). The black appeared after I sprayed the Tinactin on his legs and tried to dust his back with Sevin - managed to sprinkle a little on his back yesterday but he was freaked so I left him alone.

When I get him off the roost - will he stay asleep or wake up? I guess I'm just worried about how much damage he might do to me if he wakes up as I've never had a rooster before and he's pretty protective of his "girls" and won't let me touch him. If I manage to get a finger on him he acts like I touched him with a hot poker.

I've got another rooster in the young clutch I just hatched and I'm thinking Foghorn may have to be rehomed later and keep the younger Francis instead. He's a Lavender Orpington and so far he lets me touch and pick him up. Of course he's only 5 weeks old today.

Thanks,
Bobbie

 

[bobbieschicks]

Okay I snuck out there after dark a few minutes ago and everyone was still awake. I was worried,but it was easy to catch Foghorn on the roost. I oiled up his comb and feet with olive oil and put him back on the roost. Then I realized I did not oil his wattles so I quickly recaptured him and oiled them as well. I will definitely treat him at night when I dust them the next time. Maybe even dust them all at night as it was so easy to get in there and it was fast. The girls however are easy to catch during the day, at least for now, so maybe I'll just dust him at night. Here I was so worried he'd attack me. He was more afraid of me then I was of him.

So I just need to repeat the process in 10 days. Hopefully any mites or lice will be killed and combs wll return to healthy again.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Was so worried about my rooster and tonight I realized he doesn't have a disease, just bruising and scabs. He developed black spots on his comb the day I treated him for mites. I have been searching to figure out what the spots were. Then I remembered that he had rubbed his comb and face against the hardware cloth repeatedly when he was scared and trying to get away. He bruised and cut the tips of his comb. Should I treat the cuts/scabs or leave them alone to heal?