What to do about maggots on a raw butt?

[GreenAcresT]

Posted earlier today about my 6 mo. old lavender orpington roo with a raw butt. On closer inspection while trying to clean up the raw area I discovered little white worms crawling on a very raw area above the vent. I'm thinking those might be maggots after doing some reading on other threads. What can I do to get rid of them? These worms are about 1/4" long, very skinny and white in color and they are crawling on that really raw area where I think he has been picking. And I'm also beginning to think the raw butt and baldness on his head below the comb is caused by a severe lice infestation. The shafts of the feathers below the bald area on his head are thick with a white powdery substance which sounds like the lice eggs. I don't know what to do to help him. He looks so pitiful!

 

[casportpony]

Dust him for mites and lice with poultry dust, not DE, and get the maggots off of him. Once cleaned, inspect the raw area(s) and post pictures if possible. Also, try looking for article on "fly strike".

-Kathy

 

[cheepylove]

I do think you can use a peroxide solution to help with the maggots. Also carefully use tweezers to pull them out. Do you think they have burrowed into him? It could be a problem if they are inside. Maggots are nasty creatures that can burrow into the skin and any small opening. (vent/butt). I would use a bentadine, peroxide, warm water solution. Do your best to soak the bottom. Remove the maggots carefully with tweezers & then rinse. I don't find that DE works as well once there is an infestation but others may have a different opinion. I was able to use a Seven dust or Poultry dust. Use gloves!!!!! Take a small kitchen trash bag & pour a favorable amount in. Place your chicken in the bag, but obviously no the head. Close the bag a bit around the neck while still holding the body. ( a second pair of hands may help). Shake the bag giving the bird a good dusting and then just hold him there for about five minutes. I would recommend stripping the coop & dusting the other birds as well.

 

[casportpony]

Good suggestion on dusting... I've also read that people put it socks and dust them with a sock stuffed with the powder, but I haven't tried that.

-Kathy

 

[cheepylove]

Kathy, it's the shake & bake method, lol without the baking!

 

[casportpony]

 

[GreenAcresT]

Wow!! Just read the "fly strike" article (GROSS). Just the thought of picking those maggots off Verne has my skin crawling. I'll get hubby to help when he gets home. Been checking my other chicks and looks like the lice have been making themselves at home. Everyone's getting a Sevin "shake" later tonight (possible myself as well as I've already picked a couple off me). I am completely disgusted about now and wishing we had never decided to get chickens. But I've gotten attached to them and I sure don't want to see any of them suffer.

I do have one last question - won't the Sevin dusting hurt Verne's raw skin?

Thanks, Kathy and cheepylove, for the quick advice!

 

[pawprint2104]

I recently had a maggot infestation, too. The maggots are surprisingly easy to remove. The technique that worked for me is placing the chicken in the kitchen sink and run the water at a lukewarm temperature. I have a hose type nozzle which allows me to pull it out and rinse the affected area. Get the tweezers and a very good light (like a headlamp). Separate the feathers (which is easy now because they're wet and start picking one at a time. After picking with the tweezers, I rinse them in the running water to get the squishy thing off of them. Be patient, as they'll emerge after you think you've gotten them all. So, just put some music on, relax and get to picking. When you think you've gotten them all. Wait and watch. If it appears you got all of them (the tiny ones may be difficult), rinse with the diluted betadine and water solution. Dry the area and apply neosporin. Keep your girl isolated and clean. Tomorrow, you'll need to do the same all over again. It took me more than one day to get all of them (some of them did not emerge on the first day). Good luck. It's not that hard. You'll do fine.

 

[cheepylove]

I have surprisingly only had one lice outbreak, so don't give up on them! After a couple of treatments you can start doing some preventative measures. DE is good for a dusting in the bedding & as long as there is not a current outbreak you can dust your girls a couple times a year.

I'm not sure if the dust will irritate his raw bum, but unfortunately lice & other nasty organisms seem to like the vent area. If there are open wounds you might want to go around them but make sure you re-dust. I think the cycle is 2 weeks after the first.

 

[cheepylove]

Keep us posted!