Underweight girls after mite infestation

[kimberley848]

Last night, I finished dusting my girls with a permethrin dust bath, the 3rd week in a row.... after a previous 3 wks with 2 wks between those rounds. I started the 2nd round because my girls still seemed itchy and one was becoming lethargic. I finally used ivermectin a couple weeks ago just to cover all bases and that worked. Immediate change in preening, acting, everything. But to be safe, I went ahead and finished the full 3 rounds for the dust bath. During this time, I've cleaned/stripped the coop and run of everything and I'm sure all bugs are gone! However I noted with the first dust bath, my older 3 girls were underweight/thin, I'm assuming from the mite infestation, & one had stopped laying. (3 Ply. Barred Rocks- 4.5yrs; 1 golden laced Wyandotte and a brown Leghorn, both are 1yr). Since then, I've noted everyone's weight during these treatments, the older girls have been slowly picking weight back up, the GLW was thin, but she is "recovering" from going broody/raising 4 little roos (given away); and the leghorn has maintained her weight.....until last night, I noticed she is very thin... She's been a bit more quiet than normal, and it doesn't help that we've had some wicked higher temps than normal, but I'm wondering what I should be giving them to help pick up weight??? All are eating good, I go thru about 20-25 lbs of feed weekly, they free range in my grassy backyard and garden. When the one quit laying, I switched to a growers mash, 19.5% protein and my layer feed is 16.5% protein. They get a sm handful of scratch in the am and have been getting (due to the heat) some frozen vegys/fruit during the afternoons during the last week. I've also been adding some vitamins to their waterers every other day, but I have no idea what else I should be doing to help them pick up weight. I've been concerned about giving them scrambled eggs or hot food while it's so hot out. Any suggestions?
On another note, while doing the dust baths last night, I also trimmed nails and managed to quick one of my girl's nails... She didn't even squawk, so I didn't realize it until I had already picked another bird for her bath and saw the blood drops. So my question is, should I be concerned about it or is there something I should do? She wasn't limping this morning and seemed normal. I did check the roosts to see how much blood would be there, and there was only a small trace of it.

 

[Latestarter]

4.5 years old is old for a standard egg layer. They typically start slowing down and even stopping laying about that time or earlier. If they are recovering from blood suckers/anemia (mites) they may stop laying for a while until they can recover a bit. They may also be trying to do a mini molt to replace damaged feathers. Sounds like you're doing the best you can for them and it's just a waiting game. Since you gave them Ivermectin, it should have taken care of any worm issues at the same time.

You can give them scrambled eggs, just wait till they cool or even refrigerate them to make them a cold treat. I wouldn't worry about the quick nip... It happens, and as long as it wasn't a major amputation, should heal up quickly.

Some folks have had success setting up misters for their birds to allow them to cool down. Others fill a small shallow pool with a couple of inches of water and once the birds learn they can stand in it safely, it draws the heat right out through their feet and they'll stand in it to cool down.

 

[kimberley848]

Thanks Latestarter!!!
When I used the Ivermectin, I just wanted them better and figured that would take care of worming as well, although I regularly worm them anyway.

I did wonder if they might be doing a mini molt, as the older girls have lost some booty feathers, although it doesn't really look like any new pin feathers are coming in yet. The Leghorn is looking a bit scruffy, but no bare spots or anything. No one ever got any red or raw looking spots, but the older girls all lost some booty feathers.

Everyone is laying again too, shocked me a bit as I wasn't expecting it without their weight picking up first. On average, I'm getting over 100 eggs per month, so my older girls are still/back to laying rather well, just not as many.

I tried your suggestion and scrambled them an egg (I also mix in a bit of grower mash), cooled it and gave it to them mixed in with their weekly yogurt. I guess I was hoping there was something besides regular food that would be a "quick-fix-fatten" up my girls kind of thing... oh well.

I've been lucky with the heat, as the girls have 3 plants in their run that I dump their dirty water on daily, so they dig under them during the hot months to lay next to, and are currently digging under my tomato plants and laying there. We also put up a canopy in the yard, but raised it only half way and let an area under it "flood" with a couple inches of water... they all come running to hang out under there when the water is on. They do like to walk in an inch or two of water.
Thanks again as it always helps to have another opinion!