Red mite/Lice/Vent pecking

North Devon Dumpling · « **on:** January 18, 2009, 15:36 »

Gosh, the girls are keeping us on our toes this year (and its only the 18th"). Last week we had a girl who wasn't very well and I think we have decided she had a tummy bug. As she was starting to really improve we noticed alot of feathers in the hen house (would have been day before yesterday) but thought nothing of it. Then yesterday I noticed that one of the hens (the one lowest on the pecking order) was really having a seriously good dust bath, perhaps a little more vigerously than normal. Today we have noticed that she is getting bald around her vent area. We have tried to catch her to have a look but she is definately NOT having it (will try again in a bit). So I gather it could be:-

Lice or Mites, but isn't it the wrong kind of weather/temp for mites? It could be bullying but with the combination of her violent dust bathing yesterday and her balding bum I wonder more and more about some kind of parasite. Any ideas, suggestions would be welcome (we have louse powder and red mite powder - but nothing to deinfest the house with, which I dread as it is an adapted outhouse and will be a real pain to scrub etc - also we have no alternative).

Thanks for your help. NDD

ps, OH put them to bed yesterday as I had to go out and he said they were all a bit reluctant to do in and when they did spread out along their perch?

Vember · « **Reply #1 on:** January 18, 2009, 15:44 »

Hi NDD

There's some pictures & info here- might give you an idea what your looking for

http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=5250

I always thought a reluctance to go to bed means you might have red mite - defo worth checking out

Sarah

North Devon Dumpling · « **Reply #2 on:** January 18, 2009, 15:56 »

Hi Sarah, I had a look at that info, thanks for the link. We just managed to catch her and she is definately sore and bald around the vent area and under her wings. She is also loosing feathers like there is no tomorrow, she moves and sheds like anything, when we picked her up she must have lost quite a few (poor thing), surely it can't be moulting at this time of year - could it? The other one we caught was OK round her vent and under her wings but was very red and sore and starting to loose feathers in her breast bone area. I can't bear the thought of mite, it will be such a pain to deal with :cry:

North Devon Dumpling · « **Reply #3 on:** January 18, 2009, 17:22 »

An update. Well we managed to catch all of them to have a look in the end (also sprinkled them all with louse powder while we had them on our clutches) and they all have some degree of feather loss (the one I first mentioned the worst), most on the breast area and some (starting) on the neck. The first one (poor little thing) whenever she has a good shake, looses lots of feathers, and was having a preen and ended up with one on her beak, she looked rather surprised :shock:

They went in OK but have two perches, normally they all sit together on one, but the one who looks the worst was on the second perch on her own. We have checked the perches and can see no sign of mite (have left some white paper wedged under the perch to see if we can see anything).

I am starting to think that they are moulting, but NOW! They were POL's when we got them in May so surely it is the wrong time for them to be moulting and it is so cold!!!! :shock:

Just really not sure what to do for them. :cry:

Foxy · « **Reply #4 on:** January 18, 2009, 17:38 »

Hi NDD,

Were they actually laying when you got them in May? Maybe they may have been hatched the end of the pevious year. Although generally speaking they dont have a full moult until their second year, some hens do moult at the end of their first year. I have a sillly hen now moulting! And yes feathers are everywhere!

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #5 on:** January 18, 2009, 17:54 »

I have a hen moulting now too :roll:

Look at some of the moulted feathers. If the quill part is complete then it won't be feather mite.

North Devon Dumpling · « **Reply #6 on:** January 18, 2009, 17:58 »

Hi Foxy/Aunt Sally

Yes, they were laying from the day we got them. Does this sound more like moulting than parasites do you think?

What are you doing for your hen(s) who are moulting now to keep them healthy/warm? Are we going to have a fight over cat food with the cats and chickens? :shock:

PS, oh yes, the quill part is complete, the skin left is completely smooth (like a baby! :shock: ).

Is this because they could be a year old them or could there be other reasons? Can't think of any frights they might have had apart from the cold over new year and the sound of hail on the tin roof of their house (its an old small outbuilding).

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #7 on:** January 18, 2009, 18:21 »

Could well be moulting.

Give some good feed, extra vitamins, bit of extra protein - white fish, cat food, No draughts and luckily the weather is a bit warmer now

T C · « **Reply #8 on:** January 18, 2009, 18:48 »

Hi NDD, sorry to hear about your hens, mine had red mite last summer, to be sure it was mite, i went into the hen house when it was dark, i shone a tourch on the hens legs, and sure enough there they were, marching up from the perch up the hens legs, i dont know if you would see any other type of mite in this way, but its a sure thing for looking for red mite, i hope you find out soon, so you can deal with it, TC

Sassy · « **Reply #9 on:** January 19, 2009, 08:21 »

I was given a good tip for checking for red mite on a poultry course.

Fold a piece of paper in half and slide it up and down in the joins and behind wooden supports etc. If it has red marks on you have red mite.

North Devon Dumpling · « **Reply #10 on:** January 19, 2009, 10:12 »

Hi thanks for all the help.

Well got the torch out last night and did the white paper trick on the perches and no mite. I think it must be moulting, poor little things. Will give them some extra treats, we have some fish that we feed the cats on Sundays :oops: , in the freezer so will cook some up for the hens :shock:

Mind you has been a lesson for us so next clean out of the hen house (this week) will also include some really serious cleaning of all areas.

Thanks again. NDD

North Devon Dumpling · « **Reply #11 on:** January 19, 2009, 19:23 »

Hi, sorry another quick question.

If they are moulting the only thing that seems odd is that there don't seem to be any pin feathers comming through yet and the one most affected is moulting most round her bum, is this right?

Would it be OK to continue with the anti lice treatment that we started yesterday (they say on the packet that you ahve to do it for a week) or is this going to cause them problems (I couldn't really see any lice but wasn't completely sure.

Sorry to ask so many questions. Thanks NDD

Aunt Sally · « **Reply #12 on:** January 19, 2009, 19:57 »

If it's mainly around the botty area it could be feather pecking. You'll have to sit and watch them :shock:

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Red mite/Lice/Vent pecking

Vember

Foxy