UPDATED serious flystrike

[anomala]

I checked on her this morning (early and still dark), she was just chilling with her head up and looking alert, so good sign.

Thank you both, and AntiqueB that makes me feel so much better to hear. I soaked her yesterday for 30 min, which may have been a bit long but I kept seeing more maggots and she was calm so we kept at it. I'll keep up with the epsom salts in the bath, they have always done well for my own injuries so I know it could help. I purchased veterycin and rooster booster poultry cell (based on the Paloma thread) yesterday. I applied a spray of 1 tsp/ quart pyrethrin to the wound, followed by the veterycin and then a product I have that has worked miracles for our dogs wounds called Silver Honey (colloidial silver and manuka honey). I realized I have no vaseline or antibiotic ointment in the house so I will get some today. I will also look in to finding the pro zap or similar formula today if it looks like the pyrethrin I have is not affecting any remaining maggots/ might not be strong enough for further prevention. Currently she is in a crate in a closed garage (with a space heater) so hopefully limited risk of more flies, but I know they always find a way. Planning on keeping her inside until the wound heals over. We have unusually low tempuratures forcasted for Sunday night, 24 degrees, I'm in GA. Hopefully that will also knock back fly activities.

Does anyone have feeding recommendations for the poultry cell? I can syringe but if its ok to admin in water I would prefer that to limit the handling/ stress. I saw it can be added to food, if I do that is there a certain amount of time I should dispose of uneaten food with the poultry cell to prevent spoilage of the food? Should I stop the nutri drench now that I have the poultry cell?

I'll update later today after the next soak.

 

[Eggcessive]

Poultry Cell and NutriDrench are almost identical, except that the PC contains riboflavin (B2,) so it is preferred if treating leg and foot problems. Dosage of either one is 1 ml per 3 pounds daily, and you can give it orally or add a bit to food. I usually will mix food twice a day, making a wet mix of chicken feed and water, and just a little scrambled egg, tuna, or cottage cheese in rotation for interest. I will sprinkle on dry chicken crumbles a little at a time, to get them interested in the food. That way it doesn’t spoil if I mix a fresh bowl twice a day. I sure hope the maggots disappear soon.

If you can manage bringing in a friend to visit her a couple of times a day, just so they can see each other, that might make her coming back into the flock later in. When she is better and flies are gone, she could spend some time in a crate outside with the flock. The longer they are out of the flock, they can get forgotten and may be attacked when they come back.

The pyrethrins should work, but if you have to get permethrin, the Martins or Gordons Permethrin 10 concentrate is economical, and can be mixed in a spray bottle 1 tsp per quart. It treats lice, mites, flies, etc, and can be used sparingly on the chicken, or to treat coop or run.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...qHHmBGbNMl2js6UbrylAwb5ZdzTvFt3xoCIZMQAvD_BwE

 

[anomala]

Ill keep on with the nutridrench in water then, she's been happily drinking that in the water. I haven't been able to interest her in wet feed, she was thrilled about the scrambled egg yesterday morning but not so much yesterday afternoon/ evening and didnt eat any when offered this morning. She has been picking at the dry feed I had offered separately yesterday evening. Ill try doing the wet with dry as you suggested.

That's very good information about keeping her visible to the flock I hadn't considered at all. We have, for whatever reason, a very peaceful flock (18 hens, 2 roosters) with minimal hierarchy I can see and have had no issues integrating, but I will make sure she has visits just in case, I don't want to compound her problems if she survives this. And, at least when we had a much smaller flock of only a few birds she appeared to be top hen, so not sure if that would be more likely to create problems if she was gone and then reappeared.

I'll update on if the pyrethrins are successful, I've always been a little bit nervous about the permethrin, at least using it broadly on the coop/ run because we have a cat that likes hanging with them and it is also highly toxic to pollinators. I'm not worried about using it isolated on a wound but if the pyrethrin works out that would be great. I am going to need to assess prevention steps for the flock tho, so going to have to look more in to everything.

 

[Folly's place]

All good so far, but in my experience there will be fly eggs and then maggots elsewhere on her body, so look hard, spray her with permethrin as directed, and be vigilant! Most fly eggs take 24 hours to hatch, and the maggots grow fast, so keep up your program!
She can't be exposed to more flies, but needs to be at the coop, separated, soon as possible.
Do you have a hen who's aggressive and pecking her flockmates? Any idea how this all started? Flock dynamics can get ugly sometimes.
You are doing a super job, hope she survives.
Mary

 

[anomala]

Discouraging update. I did another Epsom salt soak with her, another full 30 min because I didn't see the first maggot until about the 15 min mark. I ended up with 7 I think, three sizes now, the new smallest size is less than 2 mm so assuming that may have hatched since we started the soaks. I was able to get a much better look and it looks like the wound continues under her skin on the belly side of the hole, which explains the approx egg sized lump I was feeling (when I first posted I had thought it was a blockage inside of her before I got my head around the horrors caused by fly strike). This unfortunately explains why I hadn't seen as many maggots as have been removed by soaking, and probably why its taking so long in the bath for them to start emerging. It is very hard to see, so I'm hoping it is shallow and doesn't go very far, but with the swelling it very well might. I know the odds of her body clearing a wound like this that extents under the skin are a lot lower than closing an open hole. I'm going to continue on with what I'm doing, as long as she seems to be feeling ok. Her color is still good, she still has plenty of energy when I try to handle her, and after the last soak it looks like shes standing normally with her tail up again.

 

[AntiqueB]

Keep treating. As long as she is eating and drinking, there's hope to save her.

 

[Eggcessive]

I’m sorry. I wish you had access to a vet, but I think that you are doing the best you can. Do you think that you can get to the inside of the wound where the maggots are hatching? Can you insert a turkey baster or syringe into the hole farther to flush out the area? I’m sure that this is very hard on both of you.

 

[anomala]

Thank you so much for your support Mary. I was worried they could get elsewhere, a few of them on her first soak tried to climb up on her back, concerned there may have been tiny ones I missed. I was using pyrethrin, and just on the wound, but I might switch to one of the permetherin products you all are recommending to be sure.

Our flock has fortunately always been very peaceful, and we have not had any chicken inflicted wounds, aggression, or picking. I'm pretty sure it was caused by a poopy butt and my own negligence. We've had a dog staying with us for a couple weeks that unfortunately turned out to be not chicken friendly, so they have been staying in the run more than usual, and when out have been mostly hiding out (we have kept them in separate areas when he is outside, but the chickens know he's here) so I haven't been interacting as much, and sure this is something I missed. She's always been a little messy, no matter what I've done (our only one like this), but it could have been worse than usual and I missed it or maybe just a little bit was enough, coupled with some epically wet weather recently.

I do know I really dropped the ball when I first noticing her acting off, as mentioned in my initial post the dog had given them a scare when he escaped about a week ago (no injuries, I was outside when it happened), and I initially chalked her late leaving the coop/ staying in the run longer when everyone was out to the scare (shes one of our most skittish hens). Other than that she was still acting normally, eating, and joining the others to forage. The fourth day after noticing something was off is when I finally caught it, when I found her standing in penguin stance.

 

[Eggcessive]

I think we all have been in your place with something happening and not always checking closely. I know I have.

 

[AntiqueB]

Me, too.