Bald patch....lice?

[pigsinmud]

One of my hens has a bald patch underneath in her downy feathers near vent. Now I have discovered a few lice/mites....how do I know which they are? She seems fine in herself - eating and egg laying and generally being the bossy one.

The licey things are grey and seem to be living on her. I squirted some diatomaceous earth at her bottom. What else do I do? Given the coop a thorough clean (just what the garden needed...more water on it!).

Also, what do you give as a general tonic? They seem well enough, but I thought with lice/mites they might need a pick me up.

No-one can help?

To add to my woes there were a couple of droppings yesterday that had what looked like a piece of spaghetti in them. I immediately thought worms! However, they were given flubenvet end of November so not sure. I get the marriages feed with flubenvet in, so I know they have all eaten it. The spaghetti wasn't moving at all - bleurgh! Not sure what to do about it. Do I worm them again?

I can't eat eggs now after googling worms and chickens and coming up with a picture of an egg with a worm in it

I found a good wesbite www.domesticfowlrtust.co.uk they sell lots of chicken items and equipment and I know for a fact they sell poultry tonic which will help perk your chickens up.

I use a spot on treatment for all my chickens - Beaphar Anti-Parasite Spot on (for rabbits, guinea-pigs, ferrets and rats). It is effective against lice, fleas, mange mites and roundworms, and lasts for 4 weeks. It was recommended by my local feed merchant for chickens, and apparently lots of people use it. My very fluffy Pekin cockerel had lice after last winter, and this got rid of them up really fast, and it's really easy to use (Much easier than bathing and shampooing which I did before finding the Beaphar!)