[summermeadows]

I have 5 hens, one of which never quite grew her feathers back after moulting and produces mainly soft shelled eggs that get squashed daily. This has gone on for months now.  The hen house is treated regularly for red mite but I vaguely remember reading something about a mite/louse that lives on the chicken and causes feathers to fall out. (There's a bald patch on her lower back towards tail and just at each wing joint it's bare) I've started dusting her liberally with diatomaceous earth every couple of days but it's too early to see if this is working as it'll take a while for feathers to re-grow. Any ideas? Am I on the right track? Thanks.

[chrismahon]

There is a louse that burrows into the feathers and eats the base. The feathers break off leaving the quill flush to the surface. We found Frontline spray (from vet only) at 3 sqirts per Kg bodyweight got rid of them. Powder and Pyrethum spray did nothing.

[summermeadows]

Thanks. Will bear that in mind if this powder doesn't shift it.

[northfifeduckling]

I'm still stuck with a half-naked hen ( one side of her back) after trying everything else for months now - purple violet, anti-pecking, nutritional supplements, Diatom powder, I'm at my wit's end....Does frontline kill any other beasties as well as the boy might have something else (lice? ) , losing more and more feathers UNDER his wings and his skin is inflamed probably from his pecking at it...wasn't the plumage eating nuisance a mite?

[northfifeduckling]

now I just found this on a different forum...will definitely have to chat to the vet now

I just want others to be aware of the potential toxicity of Frontline spray on chickens.  It is NOT licensed on chickens and should not be used on them - I have found out the hard way.  Six weeks ago I visited another breeder and during our conversation he told me that last year, he lost several birds due to poisening by Frontline (Fipronil).  He had had this confirmed by post mortem at Defra.  I was alarmed as I had just sprayed all my birds a few days before hand.  Apparently, it is absorbed by the body and secreted through feather follicles.  During this process the liver is damaged, the birds lose weight and eventually die.  Not all chickens are affected and he said his losses were mostly amongst his Aracaunas.  Sure enough just this week, I have a Cochin hen looking very poorly, very thin and not eating.  Another cochin cockerel (not in same pen) is now displaying similar signs - thin, week and generally unwell.  They also have dirty bottoms as their droppings are watery and curdled looking, so I think I am able to see the ones that are affected - all the cochins and one or two others.  I am prepared for the worst but it is heartbreaking.  My birds are much loved pets and to think I have poisened them in an attempt to combat the constant lice problem I keep experiencing, it is horrible.  I cannot blame my vet as I asked for the product after reading that other people have used it successfully.  It appears it affect some breeds more than others but you don't know until it is too late.

[chrismahon]

It's a matter of dosage NFD. We rarely use it as an absolute last resort. We use the spray because the dosage can be reduced to half that of the minimum cat dose -3 sprays per Kg body weight instead of 6 -12. Its the spot on that kills. We have used at 2 sprays per Kg but it wasn't effective on two of the 12 dosed. Used it for 3 years now with no problems.

[northfifeduckling]

just out of interest - does this blo%&y plumage eating mite affect any breeds more than others? The cockerel and the most affected girl have more of Black Rock in them than the others - any experience? 

[chrismahon]

We've had them with Orpingtons, Cream Legbars and Wyandottes. It affected the whole of one flock of mixed breed hens so I guess it's no particular breed. Our Black Rocks roosted on the opposite perch and were unaffected. The cockerel sleeps in the kitchen on his bed so he was also inaffected.
 
We've not had them since so where they came from is a mystery.

[FiB]

. The cockerel sleeps in the kitchen on his bed so he was also inaffected.
 

Lovley Picture inmy head!!    How did that come to be?

[chrismahon]

Bottom is a pet FiB. He was overworked initially because we expected him to control three separate flocks brought out together. He very diligent with his hens so ran himself ragged and became ill. He used to have his own house but three years ago we bought him some matching hens and they occupied it. So we took him on holiday to Tenby for a camping week to get some R&R and when he came back he lived in our house. Likes lots of cuddles, even from me!
 
He's just recovered from Northern Fowl Mite!

[CarolW]

We have 2 chickens exactly the same, bald on their back and on the top of the wings -someone told us it was probably because they were Kens favorite and I believed them. They are really healthy, their combs are bright red and they're still laying.


then just this evening I found our little Silky cross, Flossy, full of lice -I'm still itching now.  She's been very sad looking for a couple of weeks, we thought she was getting broody as she's in the nesting box a lot of the time - what a dope !
We've separated her and treated her with diatom.  We're going to check the other 2 and treat them with it if needed.


How often should we treat them, every night for a few nights or every couple of days ?  I haven't got a clue on this one.

[dyedinthewool]

It's a matter of dosage NFD. We rarely use it as an absolute last resort. We use the spray because the dosage can be reduced to half that of the minimum cat dose -3 sprays per Kg body weight instead of 6 -12. Its the spot on that kills. We have used at 2 sprays per Kg but it wasn't effective on two of the 12 dosed. Used it for 3 years now with no problems.

My henny's recently had a bad infestation of Northen Fowl Mite (and I mean real bad) Chris said about the 'Frontline' but my vet gave me an alternative so not sure if as good as 'Frontline'  but it certainly cleared up the mite problem and henny's are all fine.  My only problem was the 'spray' was more of a drippy spurt...so not to sure if i sprayed correct amount per Kg (put a henny in a sack bag and weighed her to get an idea of weights approx 3lbs)  If I have to use it again I'll decant it into a better sprayer.  It's quite expensive (£20.0) for 250ml which due to the bad spray didn't go very far I have 10 hens.
One henny is nearly bald on her back - due to cocky-do....
Don't lice look like grains of rice stuck to the feather shafts?

[northfifeduckling]

yes, our boy had lice last year but no evidence of the grey egg clusters now. they were mainly around the vent and we picked the clusters off and burned them. My kids and the cockerel probably still hate me for doing this  ...
What's the spray your vet gave you, Carol?

[chrismahon]

We've just paid £37 odd for a 250ml spray of Frontline but it should treat 50 average size chickens.

[northfifeduckling]

do you know if there are smaller bottles and how long it keeps?