UPDATED PICS: Possible Parasites?

[Aunt Angus]

Could mites or lice be causing my Cochin's tail feathers to look like this???

I have looked for bugs and nits, but they are hard to see on white, and I have zero experience with mites or lice. I have permethrin, but I don't want to treat if I don't have to.

TIA

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Could mites or lice be causing my Cochin's tail feathers to look like this???
View attachment 1738644
I have looked for bugs and nits, but they are hard to see on white, and I have zero experience with mites or lice. I have permethrin, but I don't want to treat if I don't have to.

TIA

Were the feathers not like that before? Some chickens just get tattered feathers, I think it’s a genetic thing. Lavender Orpington‘s are known for having that in their genetics. I don’t know about your Cochin.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Didn't know that. Huh...

They were pretty and fluffy before. And I noticed that the feathers around her preening gland (sorry - don't know the proper term and didn't think to google it beforehand) are very dirty-looking, like she didn't shake all of the dust off after bathing. I will try to get a pic of that, too, but she's not too keen on being handled.

Also should add she just went through an ordeal after laying a shelless egg. Her egg production has diminished greatly, too. She used to lay every other day or so. I've gotten only 1 from her this past week. Otherwise, she's behaving normally.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I'm going to treat for lice, I decided, but I don't have time to clean my whole coop tonight. And chances are I won't have time until next weekend (my job is crazy right now). I know that's the only way to actually treat an infestation, but is there any way I can minimize the damage in the meantime?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Sorry to go on about this, but I can't tell what's going on.

Went out to put the girls to bed, and took some new pics. In the first pic, the arrow shows where the problem area is. Her vent, well below this area, is as clean as a vent can be.

This second pic shows that the area surrounding her uropygial gland is really dirty looking. I cleaned it up a bit, and it looks like the loamy sandy dirt in her "spa." The gland is right in the middle of that mess. Ew.

What the heck?! Should I just bathe her? Is this a sign of illness?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Sorry to go on about this, but I can't tell what's going on.

Went out to put the girls to bed, and took some new pics. In the first pic, the arrow shows where the problem area is. Her vent, well below this area, is as clean as a vent can be.
View attachment 1738774
This second pic shows that the area surrounding her uropygial gland is really dirty looking. I cleaned it up a bit, and it looks like the loamy sandy dirt in her "spa." The gland is right in the middle of that mess. Ew.
View attachment 1738775
What the heck?! Should I just bathe her? Is this a sign of illness?

Possibly a sign of illness, you mentioned that she laid a shell less egg and she kind of looks a little bit hunched up, like she doesn’t feel good. You also mentioned that she used to lay a lot and now she is not. Sometimes that is a sign of internal laying or some kind of reproductive problem. Is that little specs of dirt? Or do they look like mites? Maybe her preening gland could be infected? If she were my chicken, I would give her a warm Epson salt bath and soak her for at least 15 minutes, blow dry her so she doesn’t get chilled, break up a Tums in about 8 pieces and make her eat them by opening her beak and putting them in one at a time. That will give her extra calcium if she is laying soft shelled eggs, make sure she gets Oyster shell tomorrow and if I could see mites, I would say treat her.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Possibly a sign of illness, you mentioned that she laid a shell less egg and she kind of looks a little bit hunched up, like she doesn’t feel good. You also mentioned that she used to lay a lot and now she is not. Sometimes that is a sign of internal laying or some kind of reproductive problem. Is that little specs of dirt? Or do they look like mites? Maybe her preening gland could be infected?

I dunno. She seems fine otherwise. What shou lid I be looking for for internal laying?

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I dunno. She seems fine otherwise. What shou lid I be looking for for internal laying?

If you bathe her and look below her vent, see if it looks swollen in the area between her legs and under her vent. You’ll be able to see if she has swelling much better when the feathers are wet.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I will do that tomorrow. Poor Iris. She's never had it easy.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Now I'm thinking it's mites. Ew. I sprayed my pullets with permethrin according to package directions. So much for being organic. But I found pics online that look like this. I will take any advice. I will do my very best to clean out the whole frigging coop tomorrow and spray everything down.

Poor Iris. Wish I'd seen this sooner. I look them over every day, but I somehow missed this ugliness. And my coop is pretty darn clean. I may just dip her, too. She's a hot mess.

And I've got my broody in there, too. She's just a sitting buffet for the %#=^*& things.