Black comb, eating and drinking is reduced...

[Garden_girl1327]

Please help- I have a Two year old buff orphington who since two days ago her comb has turned black to purple and she stopped eating and drinking. I had to coax her out of the coop. With my chickens we have a flock of ten and they have been roaming free in the yard from mid afternoon to early evening when they return to the coop. They are feed and water is given to them on a daily basis. I have since seperated this hen from the others with a fear that she may be attacked. Her stool was watery tonight. As for her energy level it is to the minimium. She can stand but prefers laying down. Her feet on Thursday were even discolored. Regular color has since returned to her feet. Tonight I have given her corn on the cob, a chopped up cucumber, a piece of a banana as well a's her regular laying crumble with water. She has pecked at the corn and some of the grain. With drinking it is very little but she will swallow when I put water over her beak.
Has this happened to anyone else's flock and if so what was the end result? Please note it is mid July here in new England. I have ruled out frostbite, which my ladies have had before.

 

[seminolewind]

Hi, being weak and comb turning blue/dark blue, I would say heart failure. Hopefully worms and mites havent' drained her blood (most people suggest this first). But I had a BO hen that did the same thing.

 

[Garden_girl1327]

I take it she passed. How long was it before she passed that the symptoms started?
Luckily today she started eating and drinking more. Does this mean that she is going to plateau On me or is it a sign that she is starting to feel better?
When she stands she tends to close her eyes. She was always a very energetic bird. Could it be possible she got into something that may have brought this on?

 

[seminolewind]

Mine went along like that for between a month or two. There were times she looked fine. But she was always tired and resting. She was usually the first one coming for treats. She did die. She was my first hen. Here's a pic when it started. I got her from a hatchery and didn't know she was debeaked.