Where Do I Start?!

[CoatsCrew]

My boys and I are new to chickens. We have a variety that are split into 3 separate coops. My son recently brought home a lavender orphanington hen and a red and blue wyndote. They were not in good health and both were under weight. They just didn't look good at all. The day after he put them into the coop we noticed small red bugs under their wings. I was bug ignorant because we had never had any issues whatsoever. We immediately dusted them with 7 dust. About 2 days after that the wyndote had bubbly eyes. After researching, I treated the water and quarantined her for about a week. Wasine is what I used in the water. She seemed to get better and I reintroduced her to the flock.
That was about 2 months ago. Over the last two days I have noticed lots of white, egg like clusters around several of my chickens head and neck area. Just today they have started coughing as well. Is this a lice/mite infestation? Is it a respiratory disease? I am diligent about having happy, healthy birds. We had not had ANY issues until we brought home new birds without quarantining them first.
At this point, I am overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Do I dust? Spray? Get DE? Do Tylan injections?Dip them? Wasine again? Go all natural? I just want happy, healthy birds! I am willing to do whatever needs to be done, but I just don't know where to start. HELP PLEASE?!

 

[LaPetiteFarmer]

I cannot really help you and hopefully someone else will be more helpful but if it's respiratory, I highly recommend Oxine (do not activate it). You should fog them when they are inside the coop.
I really hope you are going to bring everybody back to a better health. Good luck!

 

[fried green eggs]

I would dust all of them again with 7. Use paper bag method with just their head out of the bag. You should be able to find food grade DE at Tractor Supply type store. Put the DE in nesting boxes, on roost, on their food, on coop floor and favorite dust bath site. Good Luck

 

[CoatsCrew]

An update on my girls......We pretty much just changed everything. I began giving my two hens that were sooooo sick Tylan 50 injections. They have done a complete turn around and seem to be doing MUCH better. I have dusted, dusted, and dusted with Seven dust. I also used the Vaseline and Seven dust mixture on their feet and heads. Lice/Mites whatever they were seem to be gone. I also sprayed the coop and hen house down with Pyrethrin ? spray. I then dusted DE every where and sprinkled it on their laying pellets. I replaced all of their nesting boxes and coop shavings with fresh shavings.
I began using Vet RX on the entire flock every night until everyone appears healthy. I think that may be a few more days. The two new hens that apparently brought all of this fun into our flock seem to do well with the Vet RX a couple of times a day.
The biggest change that I have implemented is free ranging all of them. They LOVE it!! We have 4 dogs that have killed chickens that had gotten out in the past. I decided that the dogs needed a lesson in all getting along and resorted to a shock collar. We have an underground fence that fences the dogs OUT of the pool. They have the other 40 acres to run around on. They understand what comes after a beep. Anyway, a couple of beeps of the collar when they got too close to the chickens and they immediately stopped. I didn't even have to shock them! Thank goodness. After a two day process, all seems to be great. The dogs and the chickens are living in harmony! They even shared some hamburger meat tonight.
Hopefully, my flock is back on track. I want happy, healthy chickens!

The two new hens that are so unhealthy are still coughing and rasping some. When I began researching how to give a shot in the breast muscle, I realized these two were soooo thin.

I have begun feeding them a wet mash of corn meal, honey, butter milk and plain yogurt. I am also feeding all of their eggs back to them. Although, we aren't getting many at all. I also have started the flock on Poly Vi Sol. I also wormed all of them today with Wazine. Hopefully, all of this isn't over kill. I just realized these two new hens had exposed my flock to a plethora of issues. I have learned so much through this forum. Thank you all. Next time we take in poor, pitiful chickens we will QUARANTINE!!

 

[Pullet Surprise]

you might want to read this thread...it's long but packed full of good info to help build your flock's health back up https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-horrors-anyone-want-to-follow-their-progress