URGENT couple day old silkie chicks have what seem to be fleas+eyes on

[Vyraal]

2 of the 5 were sealed shut?I posted this on yahoo first but was recommended to come here so here it is. I'm not a commercial breeder, but a pet owner, and I already adore these little chooks, but there seems to be a little flea problem in the brooder, and a couple of them had their eyes completely stuck shut, but no outward signs of bad health. Please help me find a cure for the fleas, and it would be lovely if anyone could help me figure out what's with the eyes. Oh, and a side not, I don't think its related, but one of the two with eyes sealed shut has white on its toes near the nail on the longest toe, doesn't seem to be anything but a minor defect, but again, I'm a bit paranoid.

 

[Roosterfry]

That's an issue I've never heard of, but if it were to happen to me I would move the chicks to another building of some sort that is not infested with fleas, I think putting flea meds on new born chicks could kill them the only thing u could try would be to use a lil diatomacious earth "DE" but it has to say FOOD GRADE somewhere on the package.. Just sprinkle it on their backs. And as for the eyes being shut, it's probably some type of mucus, try hold a warm damp towel to their eye for a few minutes and see if that opens them.

 

[Shayna]

Welcome! You will get a lot of help here, there are so many knowledgeable people. I'm new to chickens this summer, so I can't help a lot, although I've read DE (diatomeous earth) can help keep bugs away but doesn't actually get rid of them. Sevin-5 gardening dust that you can buy at just about any gardening center, works really well for getting rid of mites, lice, etc. My only concern is that your chicks are so new. I'm not familiar with how old chicks have to be for Sevin to be safe. You may wish to do some searches on here to see if you can find that answer, and hopefully someone else will chime in soon on this thread. Good luck!

 

[Vyraal]

Hank you both for the information, but where would you buy DE, I've only ever heard of its name, not really any places it can be found.

 

[Roosterfry]

Sometimes local feed stores and Co-ops will have it if not order some from a hatchery closest to you to help with shipping cost and arrival time, I got mine from cackle hatchery because they are not far from me. Good luck!

 

[Northwood Silkies]

I myself would wash the chicks in warm water with dish soap and then blow dry them dry. Just don't get the soap in their eyes. Not much you can do with newly hatched chicks unfortunately

How do you know they have fleas/mites? Have you actually seen them? As far as the eyes being stuck shut, I've had that before. It's just mucus that dried on their eyes. When you give them a warm bath just take a warm wash cloth and wipe their eyes and SLOWLY pry their eyes open if you still can't get them open just keep wiping until you can.

 

[Vyraal]

I've been picking the fleas out of their fluff and off their vents for about a day, there haven't been many, but I know its never good to have bugs around bewborn anything. I'm going after school to but the DE so hopefully that will help, and when I get home I'll try to ease their eyes open, thank you guys very much.

 

[leadwolf1]

I don't know if this will help but when I found some newborn kittens with fleas, the vet recommended regular scent palmolive dish soap as a flea preventative and it was perfectly safe for the tiny kitties...should do the trick for your peeps too! good luck

 

[hippiechick53]

My dog groomer uses Dawn dishwashing soap on kittens with fleas. If you try it do not wet the chick first. It won't kill the fleas if it's wet. Apply to dry chick work it in then rinse.