Weak chicken

[Ainsdale1a]

Hi ! I have been keeping ex-bats for 3 yrs now and so far av been lucky with there health. I have just been given a silky bantom which was found in very poor health. The hen is very pale and appears to have anemia which i think is caused by the infestation of mites she has. The hen is falling over frequently also and is very quiet and lethargic. On the up side she is eating , drinking and her poo appears normal . So far i have kept her in a warm room with a bowl of water with antibiotics in it , she also has mixed corn and treats of scrambled egg , spinach and strawberries which she is eating. My concern is that i am being cruel keeping her alive but has a nurse my instinct is to try and save her . Any advice would be greatly appreciated .

 

[Judy]

Antibiotics will do nothing for the mites; you need to kill them. If she's that sick I'd start with a bath in Dawn dish soap if you have it, or another mild soap, just to knock the live ones down, and because it's something you can do immediately. Then you can treat with "poultry dust" or spray, usually a combination of pyrethrins/permethirins, or better yet, Sevin 5% garden dust, applied with a powder puff type thing, or put her in a paper bag up to her neck. Retreat in 10 days to kill eggs. Replace all bedding and spray the coop if she has been in one.

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