Flystrike

Flystrike (Myasis) occurs when adult flies lay their eggs in a chicken’s skin/body in a moist wound, skin lesion or soiled coat (below the vent). The larvae will then move around the wound surface eating dead cells, secretions, debris, etc., irritating, injuring or killing additional layers of sking that will then produce exudates and lesions for them to continue feeding. This not only causes serious damage, but is also very painful.

Mild strikes can cause rapid loss of condition, a severe strike can be fatal – so it’s vital any flytrike be caught fast and treated as an emergency as they can reproduce very fast (up to 12 hours to hatch). Which means we need to treat it quickly enough to avoid our bird from passing from shock, intoxication or infection. In chickens, Botulism has been associated with ingestion of large numbers of fly larvae, and that’s another reason to make sure we’re addressing this problem as an emergency as soon as it’s caught.

How do you know if you have a case of flystrike? There will be eggs or larvae in wounds, it will have a pungent smell of decay, tissue necrosis and bleeding.

What to do? Please contact a vet. Removal of larvae and debridement of the necrotic and infested tissue will be extremely painful for the bird. You will need a vet to properly do this with appropriate pain medication. The wound will need to be rinsed with antiseptifc solutions and constant dressing changes. Here is a list of Poultry Vets that may help.

References: 
PoultryDVM https://poultrydvm.com/condition/fly-strike
Merck Veterinary Manual: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/integumentary-system/flies/facultative-myiasis-producing-flies-of-animals#Pathology_v3279208