[susan - happy hens]

Hi everyone, I would really appreciate help with this. Mabel hasn't been herself this last few days. She does'nt want to come out of the nest box - I lift her out to make sure she drinks and eats but she goes back in soon after.  She makes a high pitched screech when I go near her and the rest of the time she chortles - not her usual noise, she does lots of feather fluffing, she sits with her tail high and wide open. Would mites or lice cause this? Thanks.  Susan

[Beano]

She's broody by the sounds of it. Nothing to worry about.

[carolbriar]

Hi
It sounds just like my hen - she was broody!  My Buff Rock did exactly the same and I thought she was ill but it turned out she was just broody.  She wasn't sitting on any eggs, her comb went very pale, she sat in the nest box fluffed up and didn't appreciate being lifted out - she didn't even seem to venture out to eat and drink.  She was laying and then suddenly stopped.  I suggest you shut her out of the nest box once all your hens have laid and keep doing that.  Other alternatives mentioned on this forum are putting a covered ice pack underneath her or putting her in a dog crate or some would even suggest putting her into some cold water up to her vent.  I chose to keep getting her out of the coop and that eventually worked but it did take some time.  There is another alternative - put some fertilised eggs under her and let her have chicks

[susan - happy hens]

Thanks for the replies. I don't think she's broody she ony lays eggs every few days and she would be a bit older I think.  She seems quite aggitated and scratches at her head every few seconds when she is out.  I read that the northern mites can get into their ears, eyes and nostrils thats why I wondered if it would be mites.  Her droppings are normal and I'm worming them at the minute with the flubenvet.  I'm about to order more dusting powder/spray and stuff to clean the house, what's the best and most effective. x

[Aunt Sally]

Have you had a look through her feathers for northern mite.

http://www.copsalehall.co.uk/poultry_keepers.htm

[susan - happy hens]

Hi, Yes I been checking her every day a couple of times and can't find any mites.  When the hens had lice they were very visble.  But am not sure of what I'm looking for. I've looked at the photo and will have another close inspection!

[Aunt Sally]

Did you say you've used frontline on the hens recently ?

[susan - happy hens]

Yes I saw on another posting about frontline and replied to it.We were going on holiday and used the frontline drops to try and keep the lice under control, knowing we wouldn't be cleaning and dusting for a couple of weeks.   

[Aunt Sally]

That would work on mites.

[susan - happy hens]

So it says on the packet it works for 2 weeks.  Would It be ok now to use the barrier red mite spray and does it also work on northern mites.  When I get her out of the nest box for a drink she scratches her head a lot and scrapes her beak on the ground.  She pokes through her feathers but not the usual type of preening.

[themagicaltoad1]

One of mine does exactly the same thing as yours but she's free of unwelcome visitors so I think it's just a habit. It definately sounds like your girl is broody.

[carolbriar]

My hen wiped her mouth on the ground a lot while she was broody.  I thought there was something wrong but since she has got over being broody she has stopped doing it.  She would also fluff up her feathers and then shake which was strange.  As I said, she seems fine now  thank goodness.

[susan - happy hens]

would she be broody even when she is getting older? She's the only hen laying regularly every couple of days.  I checked all 3 - not a single louse found but black specks below the vent area and Laya has lots of clumps of whitish greyish stuff at the base of lots of feathers.  So I sprayed them all with the barrier red mite spray.  I hate the thought of them suffering with constant itch. I'll order more poultry shield but what dusting powder that gets all nasty critters is the best? x

[carolbriar]

Yes, they can get broody even when they are older.  There was a posting on the chicken chat not long ago about an older hen going broody.  The white lumps are where lice have probably laid eggs.  They could be dead if you have sprayed them.  I don't know what to suggest I'm afraid.  Hopefully someone else can recommend something.  My only thought was not to bombard the hens with too many different chemicals.   

[susan - happy hens]

Hi Carol, I know that had been my first thought and is why I'd hoped the one product would treat all the nasty critters.  I had hoped the frontline would have worked for a while and I wouldn't have had to spray again so soon.  I feel like the school nit nurse! The photo shows black dusty stuff over the feathers and there was definately some of that.  The feather ruffling and shaking is followed up with scratching.  What about the high pitched screech did your hen do that? x Susan