mammapajama Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Help! I went away for a week and when I returned my husband said one of our hens was looking sick. Yikes! Was she ever! Broken feathers everywhere, just stumps of fether shaft on her breast. Her comb is half the size it was and she not her usual "plucky" self. I thought she was getting pecked until I learned about mites. Now I am beside myself. My big question is: there is great info on the various types of lice and mites, but how do I know which she has?? I did notice some black crud at the base of some feathers in affected areas, but I'm not sure what that means. Other issues are: Help! We have 3 feet of snow on the ground and if I have to wet all of these hens with pest control won't the get sick? Also I have no Idea how I will properly clean their eglu. The hose is frozen. My husband also built them a wooden "play pen" which is wrapped in plastic sheeting. This is so they have somewhere to play with all of this wind and snow. Should I get rid of all of the straw thats in there and fumigate?? I'll check the others in the flock tomorrow but is there a clue in the fact that only one seems to be so affected? The others seemed okay but now that I know about mites they will all get a close inspection tomorrow. Wish me luck with Brewster, the rooster. Finally, what are my chances of geting through this without using toxic pesticides? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Broken feathers suggests that one of them is pecking her. I imagine because they are confined to the run that boredom has set in. It might be a good idea to give them greens to peck at, and maybe one of these. I don't know if this Omlet product is available in the US but I dare say you can get something similar. Also, some anti pecking spray on the 'victim' might be worth trying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I'd agree, it sounds like feather-pecking. If you think they may have mites, then given the current conditions you describe I would just stick at dusting the hens with a powder-based mite treatment, and not worry about trying to wash the housing until the weather improves. If you want to avoid pesticides, you can use a product called diatomaceous earth which is 'natural'. Personally I would go for a proprietary mite-killer however, provided it's one that is tested and approved for poultry - as you're in the US I don't know what is available to you over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mammapajama Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Thanks so much for the replies. I'm still thinking mites because of her now-puny comb and lethargic behavior. Will inspect more closely today. I understand that there are different approaches for Red Mites and NPM? Therefore I need to differentiate, don't I? Is there an easy way to know which is which? Also, will she make it through this brutal winter without her feathers? should I put her in the garage? I'm worried that if I seperate her I will have trouble re-introducing. Also she is super-sweet and I hate for her to be isolated. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Any lice or mite treatment should work. Apply it to all of them, it won't do them any harm, then repeat a week later to catch any eggs that may hatch out. She will be fine in the winter with fewer feathers, but feeding extra corn late in the day will help her keep warm overnight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
