Sick Chickens - Black 'dust' on tail

New Home

Hi there,

I was wondering has anyone come across this before. I've a couple of small white pet chickens, a pet hen and a pet rooster, and I've noticed this evening that the rooster has a sort of a fine black dust on his tail between the feathers and the skin, around the preen gland. The preen gland itself is in a bad state, very discoloured. We had another pet hen who died a few months ago from something similar, at the time we thought it might have been an infected wound from a dog attack, but now I'm not so sure. I think the hen died from pneumonia - her feathers were all frayed, I think from the lack of waterproofing, and the cold weather did the rest. The chickens are free to roam around 4 acres, have numerous shelters but do prefer to sleep on a tree branch, and are corn-fed -on top of whatever they gather from scratching around the field all day.

Has anyone any idea of what might be causing this? We've had chickens all our lives, and so did our parents and grandparents until t ime immemorial, but we've never come across anything like this before. I'm not looking for an actual diagnosis, just an indication of what it could be and if anyone has ever seen this. Any (constructive) suggestion would be very welcome.

Many thanks.

aonb

sounds like the 'dust' could be a mite of some sort?

left untreated, a heavy infestation will kill a bird eventually

Worth going to your local farm supplies or grain store, and getting some insecticidal poultry dust. You could also try some DIATOM POWDER - if not available locally, I get it online from Willow Farm in Roscommon - organisanimalfeeds.ie Its diatomaceous earth - a natural treatment for killing mites/lice. If your hens are heavily infested/far gone, you might need something a bit more immediate/stronger.... good luck!

New Home

Thanks for that Aonb, I'm not sure they could be mites, though... We've had chickens with mites before, but they were greyish/creamy in colour, they were never this dark, this 'dust' is pure black... also, I remember seeing them crawling around like mad, whereas these don't move at all... Is there anything else that might spring to your mind with regards to the damage to the oil gland on the tail?


I'll definitely try with that powder you suggested, though.

Thanks again.

Kovu

The dust could be the mite feces left behind. Have you examined them up close?
Is it like this? Or like this.


This may help

aonb

As KOVU pointed out, could be the FECES from MITES or LICE?

I havent had a problem with the preen gland on any of my hens, so know very little, sorry. You could try to clean it up and slap on some SUDOCREM or something if its looking infected? If the rooster will let you handle him, you could give him a bath in warm water (most hens like this!) Put a towel in a basin, fill it with warm water enough so that his belly is covered, to get the muck off. Dry him off, a very low setting on hairdryer (again they like this!!) Slap some sudocrem on, and keep him contained overnight - in a shed, or a box in your utility (you will probably have to bring the hen in too?!) reapplying the sudocrem a few times.

An antibiotic like BAYTRIL would be good for a week or two if it looks infected, but you would have to get a vet to prescribe that.

You could go to IRISHFOWL.COM or IRISH-POULTRY.COM to see if there is someone more knowledgable on there with some suggestions.

New Home

Thanks for that Kovu, it's definitely good to know, but unfortunately it's neither of those. The black 'dust' is as dark and as fine as soot,
I'm trying to attach a photo but it's hard to keep the rooster still with one hand while taking photos with the other, so it's not very clear, I'm afraid, I couldn't get to the base of the feathers properly - I'll try to post a few more as soon as I can get hold of a second pair of hands...

New Home

Thanks Aonb, I'll try bathing him and do as you suggested. Those websites sound great too, thanks for the heads-up!

aonb

Is the black dust only around his tail?

It could be that if his preen gland is infected, he is dust bathing that area or rubbing that area a lot? Do they dust bathe a lot? (My girls are all in their dust bath as I type!)

Try cleaning him up then maybe, and getting some antiseptic cream on there. If hes very hard to hold you could try doing it with just some very wet rags, but a bath and the heat of the water seems to have a lovely calming effect on them! Having said that Ive never bathed a rooster!

Good luck!

Kovu

It really does sound like mites to me but I'm no expert! Have a read of this perhaps and see if anything matches up?
Poor fella though, it looks very irritated on him.
It seems similar to what this woman describes but there's no reason for it given and she went on to bathe them I think.
Now before greysides attacks me for giving diagnosis on animals, I'll leave you be

aonb

p.s. I think a vitamin A deficiency can be a contributory factor to probs with preen glands??

A good balanced diet is so important with delicate/fragile hens - I used to try to supplement my hens diets with home cooked foods/corns/grains etc, but found that a good quality layers pellet (which is 'perfect' food for hens) was the best way to keep them healthy/well. My hens (more pets than anything) would always ignore pellets for treat/other options, but I just had to cut them out and only feed the pellets - better results all round since. My hens used to be fully free range, but after loosing some to foxes, they are free range for a few hours a day only now. I give them a handful each of mixed corn in the evenings (only - i.e. after a day of eating pellets) when the weather is cold - for the 'warming' effect of grain overnight...

New Home

Thanks folks!

Don't worry Kovu, I know that was not a diagnosis, it was only a piece of information so if anyone gives out to you for that they'll have to deal with me (insert evil laugh here)... and in case a mod is reading, no,that's not a challenge

Aonb, they dust bathe so much they look like ladies with a free weekend pass for a luxury spa... and the land around the house looks like a landing site for chicken-shaped meteorites... the black dust is mainly around his tail, but somewhat on his lower back too, although he doesn't look sore there. The hen is clean. The puzzling thing is that the soil here is yellow clay... I'll certainly get them some food supplements, and I'll keep them in 'chicken-sanatorium' for a few days, they won't be happy bunnies but at least I can make sure they eat what they should. I'll give the bath a shot too, I hope he won't immediately think hot water = stock pot...

By the way, they get fed corn for breakfast and dinner, as well as whatever scraps we have around.

aonb

Hmnnn, if you're on yellow clay, I would be inclined to think that the black dust is some sort of mite feces then...

Sounds like they are doing fine - between corn a.m/p.m and scraps and free ranging. You could get a small bag of layers pellets & give them some of that - though they would much prefer the corn I bet - but it would ensure that they are getting a balanced diet vitamin-wise.

I know you said they prefer to roost on a branch, so assume they dont have a coop? It would be worth running your finger along the edges of any perches/in cracks, if they do have a coop, to see if there are mites

New Home

It's not exactly a coop, they have full access to at least three separate sheds with large bamboo sticks on which they can perch if they so wish; I checked the bamboos today and they seemed clean (I had a good look, they had come loose so I had to take them down to put them up again), but just to be sure I'll get something to disinfect/disinfest the areas. I didn't get the chance to go out to buy the stuff you suggested today, so I doused them both in Neem oil, hopefully that'll help until I do get what they need in the next couple of days. I remember my grandparents used to leave little mounds of wood ashes from the range around the place for the chickens to dust-bathe in, I'll see if they like it. Thanks a million for all the advice, Aonb. Oh, and please give my best to Tux.

bulleyes

Looks like the early stages of northern mite. Difficult to shift and will kill a bird if infested. Funny thing about northern mite is they can select and infest individual birds in a flock and the others will have little of no signs of a problem.

New Home

Yikes, Bulleyes, that does sound really bad... I hadn't heard of Northern mite before... I hope the spray I got will work on that type of mites, and I've also started the chickens on a vitamin supplement in drops; I'm going to clean out and disinfect the sheds thoroughly, I've a steam cleaner that gets into all the nooks and crannies - hopefully I caught them on time...

Reggie.

Went out to check on a clucking hen to find her outside the coop. Investigated further and discovered that the coop is infested with red mite. Had to remove the eggs. The poor hen probably couldn't take the mites no more and gave up

Kovu

I got some of that Diatomaceous earth a few weeks ago as the partridge were covered in red mite, arrived in a couple of days from the online site. Seems to have them all cleared up anyway!

Reggie.

Kovu wrote: »

I got some of that Diatomaceous earth a few weeks ago as the partridge were covered in red mite, arrived in a couple of days from the online site. Seems to have them all cleared up anyway!

I'm declaring war here. I here spray the inside of the coop with sheep dip and close it up for a few hours does the job. Never did it but will now :mad:

The my second batch of chicks ruined not gonna happen a third

Kovu

Funnily enough we never had it when we had hens, best of luck clearing out the coop of them

aonb

If you have Red Mite, you will need to "strip" the coop to get rid of mites AND eggs. The eggs can survive for weeks - the mites will be in every crevice and crack in the coop. Diatom Earth (can order it online) breaks down the mites "infrastructure" and is worth having - its like a dust, you put it in every nook and cranny in the coop. You will need to dust (or spray?) the hens to get the existing mites off, or the cycle will start again very quickly. The mites suck blood from the hens, and will eventually kill them. The mites are particularly active at night. Check the ends and underneath of the perches especially. Check under the hens wings and around the vents for mites. Red Mite is a terror to get rid of. They are such tough little sods, that breaking the cycle (egg to mite) is the only way to do it. Coop, bedding, nest boxes, and the hens will all need to be checked, double checked and triple checked for a few weeks after treatment. I hate red mites :mad: :mad:

Reggie.

aonb wrote: »

If you have Red Mite, you will need to "strip" the coop to get rid of mites AND eggs. The eggs can survive for weeks - the mites will be in every crevice and crack in the coop. Diatom Earth (can order it online) breaks down the mites "infrastructure" and is worth having - its like a dust, you put it in every nook and cranny in the coop. You will need to dust (or spray?) the hens to get the existing mites off, or the cycle will start again very quickly. The mites suck blood from the hens, and will eventually kill them. The mites are particularly active at night. Check the ends and underneath of the perches especially. Check under the hens wings and around the vents for mites. Red Mite is a terror to get rid of. They are such tough little sods, that breaking the cycle (egg to mite) is the only way to do it. Coop, bedding, nest boxes, and the hens will all need to be checked, double checked and triple checked for a few weeks after treatment. I hate red mites :mad: :mad:

I'd nearly burn the coop down :mad:

aonb

I had a smashing deluxe coop - wooden with felt roof - came with sliding tray for cleaning poo, 3 lovely lidded nest boxes etc etc. Got red mite twice while the hens were in that. Hadnt had mites before - Ive kept hens for years. I blame that coop Have never used it since - was going to burn it, never got around to it. Then hens are now in a PLASTIC dog kennel - converted with perches, door & nest boxes. All plastic. Every nook and cranny is lined with Diatom Earth. Havent had an intestation since (2 years)

Just remember, that the hens will have eggs/mites on them, so they will need to be treated even if you do get rid of your coop :mad:

How many hens have you? ANYTHING will serve as a coop until you get rid of the infestation...

New Home

This might sound weird, but please bear with me - a while back I was watching a documentary about organic orchards, and one of the people interviewed was saying that to stop the various bugs from damaging the plants and the flowers/the fruits they would spray them regularly with clay diluted in water, as it creates a physical barrier between the pests and the plant, and that since they started doing that they never had any need to use anything else.

I wonder would that work with the mites too, if some diatomaceous earth was added to the clay and water mixture to help it stick...

Reggie.

aonb wrote: »

I had a smashing deluxe coop - wooden with felt roof - came with sliding tray for cleaning poo, 3 lovely lidded nest boxes etc etc. Got red mite twice while the hens were in that. Hadnt had mites before - Ive kept hens for years. I blame that coop Have never used it since - was going to burn it, never got around to it. Then hens are now in a PLASTIC dog kennel - converted with perches, door & nest boxes. All plastic. Every nook and cranny is lined with Diatom Earth. Havent had an intestation since (2 years)

Just remember, that the hens will have eggs/mites on them, so they will need to be treated even if you do get rid of your coop :mad:

How many hens have you? ANYTHING will serve as a coop until you get rid of the infestation...

Only a rooster and 3 hens at the minute usually have around 8 hens but was attacked in the winter