Mo has been a bit off colour of late, if you can describe a chicken as off colour when she’s always got the same colour feathers. She’s been looking a bit hang dog and hanging around the back door instead of doing chickeny stuff with her mates.

Today she looks even worse, she’s sort of hanging her bottom and tail below her as though she’s trying to lay an egg but can’t. She’s been off-lay for a few months now, since she moulted in November-ish. Her comb is still down so there is no reason to suppose she’s egg-bound.

We decided we needed to take a look and see what’s wrong and discovered she’s got a whole army of little critters running about underneath her feathers. Clearly a trip to the vet was needed. So, we popped her in the pink bucket (the nest box according to Jack and Hill) and popped her down the road to see the nice man in the white coat.

He took a look, got in another vet for another look, they caught some of the critters and took them away for closer inspection under the microscope. Meanwhile, I look like a walking anthill because I’m now completely covered in the rampant little devils. I itch. I itch some more. I itch and itch until I feel as though I may as well just pull my skin off in one go and give it up without a fight.

Meanwhile, the vet had returned to say the critters are lice, not mites, not that that makes any practical difference - they still need a blasting with toxic chemicals.

We were given a topical treatment for her and the rest of the flock, as well as a nasty spray for their house. We were told to burn their bedding and replenish with new after the coop had been sprayed.

So, that’s what we’ve done, although we did add another step into this heady mix of toxic chemicals – a Frontline for the dogs…..just in case you understand……I know these things are supposed to be critter specific but hey, let’s not take any chances.