Flystrike ~ What Is It and How to Deal with It

There are many illnesses and diseases that can affect your chickens but so far Flystrike has been the worse! Our sweet Hazel had it last month. Flystrike, also known as myiasis, happens when flies lay eggs in soiled feathers, fur, or an open wound. Flies will also lay their eggs in decaying organic material, like trash, rotten meat, fruit, or veggies. 

A chicken that has poop on its bottom is the perfect host. In less than a day, the eggs will hatch into maggots which feed on the animal’s skin, causing an open sore. They will feed for several days to a week until the pupa stage, damaging the tissue and internal organs, which can even lead to death. 

Warning: This post contains graphic pictures

Hazel had been broody and I’m sure that played a part in this. A few days before, on Saturday, I thought I’d try to break her by dunking her vent in cool water. I also put her in our old guinea pig cage without much nesting material. She was fine then. Plus, the week before we did a chicken check up and everyone checked out. 

On Monday, she was not in the nest box so I thought maybe it worked. She was out with the other girls, not foraging but in their general vicinity. I thought we were making progress. Then, on Tuesday, when I went to check on them, I found her in the corner of the run with her tail down, lethargic and flies swarming her. I knew something was wrong. I thought maybe she was overheated but when I picked her up, I immediately noticed the maggots. My first thought was worms but on closer inspection, she had a huge hole in her vent area. 

This happened so quickly! 

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How to treat Flystrike

Hazel had a large deep wound. The first thing we did was pick out all the maggots then assess the damage.

I knew Hazel was bad because she didn’t put up a fight. She just laid in my lap while Herb picked out all the bugs he could see.  As a precaution, I wrapped her in a towel and draped it over her head to help keep her calm.

Next, we cleaned it like we would any wound. I like using peroxide on the first day of wound care. The bubbling helps to get any debris or dirt out that you might have missed and I figured it would drown any remaining maggots. (This is so gross!) We flushed several times. If the wound is deep, you may need to use a syringe. 

Then we applied Neosporin. We tried to dress it with 2×2 non-stick pad and Vetwrap but it was in such an awkward area we couldn’t get it to work. Hazel was so lethargic it was doubtful she would mess with it anyways so we left it open. 

Isolation

We isolated Hazel in an old guinea pig cage in our bathroom. It’s important to keep your bird separated from the rest of the flock so they don’t pick on her. Read my blog on The Dark Side of Chickens for more info on this. (they will peck each other to death)

Additionally, she needed rest and time to recover.

I added Nutri-Drench to her water to give her a boost of vitamins plus a small bowl of feed. 

The next morning, I really expected her to be dead. I know that sounds horrible but the wound was so bad. The maggots will eat the flesh and tissue including their internal organs. It kinda looked like it was down to her intestines. 

But the next morning, when I went in the bathroom, she was more alert and making little chicken noises. I can’t tell you how relieved I was. We cleaned the wound again. This time with saline and applied more Neosporin. For more info on wound care, be sure and check out that blog. 

I made her some scrambled eggs (my go-to when they are sick) to make sure she got some extra protein. She gobbled right up. This was encouraging. 

I decided not to contact a vet since she was responding so well. If you are ever in this situation and unsure, please seek medical advice! 

That evening, she was even better. We repeated the routine. 

On the third day, I added Sav-a-Chick electrolytes to her water instead of the Nutri-Drench plus switched to Vetericyn Spray and applied twice a day. Her wound was starting to scab and looked a lot better. I sprayed generously and no longer applied the Neosporin. We repeated the Vetericyn for the next three days. 

I wished I had some coconut oil on hand to apply to the edges of the wound. I’ve since added this to my first aid kit.

If the wound doesn’t look well or smells, you may need antibiotics and vet care. As I said earlier, if ever in doubt, seek medical advice.

Returning to the Flock

After a week of being in the bathroom, we decided to let Hazel out in the backyard for a few hours in the evening. Her wound was healing nicely but I applied Blu-Kote to help disguise it so the other birds wouldn’t peck it.

Blu-Kote also has an antiseptic in it but I’ve heard it stings to open cuts, so I wait to use this until the scab has formed.  (The next time the Bearded Rooster has a cut I’m going to test in on him)

Trudy and the other girls acted like they didn’t know who she was. It’s believed that after a few days, they will forget the bird and treat it like a stranger or a threat. So, we used caution and supervised. 

The following evening, we extended the time, and the next night, she roosted with the girls. I went out early the next morning to check on them and everyone was happy. She was integrated back into the flock. Her wound had scabbed up and the Blu-Kote was still on well. 

I still checked her wound each evening for the next week. Flies have several stages of mutation and even though we were vigilant about cleaning and caring for her wound, I was worried more would hatch.

Fly Control to Prevent Flystrike

It’s important to control the flies for your animal’s health. With all the rain we’ve had this year, it seems the flies are worse. We had sticky fly traps and the bags (that smell horrible) around but now I needed to do more. I added the Vanilla Little Trees air fresheners to the coop. Amazingly, within a few days, it seemed there were fewer flies. People swear by these and the coop smelled great. 

An FFA student that helps with the chickens when we are out of town, recommended Permethrin 10. They use it in the school barn. I like to use natural remedies as much as possible but I felt this was needed. I  mixed as directed for chickens but used sparingly. Everyone survived and a month later I reapplied a little heavier. It’s rare I see a fly now.  

Dispose of any trash, rotten vegetables, or leftover treats that your birds don’t eat. Not only does this help the fly population but also won’t attract other predators. I also pick up dog poop each night and any bird poop I see in the yard. 

Chicken Check up 

Make sure and do a check up once a month and monitor your birds every day for any unusual behavior. Flystrike can happen so quickly. 

What else can you do to prevent Flystrike?

Make sure your birds have access to a dust bath. Some chickens will have a dirty bottom regardless. Trudy, our Leghorn, is susceptible. Whenever I see this, if it doesn’t resolve in a few days, I’ll wash in lukewarm water. If it’s a warm day, I just let her air dry but in cold weather, I use a blow dryer on a low setting.  

Treat any wounds as soon as you notice them. Chickens are curious creatures and notorious for getting into things. 

Fly strike can happen any time there are flies around. However, it’s more common in the warmer months since flies are not active in weather under 45 degrees.

With flies around, any animal is at risk. It can affect other animals and livestock, not just chickens. We were lucky with Hazel that we caught it so quickly. One more day and we probably would have had a different outcome.

Be vigilant about keeping a clean coop. Your chickens will appreciate it and be happy and healthy and lay lots of eggs.