Chicken with blue comb

[TheBlessedCoop]

hi there! I have a two year old red production hen that is usually very loud and energetic. I mean this girl screams all the time usually. Over the last few days she has become very quiet and she hasn't been her eager self. She sits quietly in the corner and drinks a ton of water. She has had diarrhea and slightly dirty butt. She still eats treats but seems disinterested. Her comb has been dry and pale and today it has a blue hue. Her tail isn't drooping and she hasn't laid in many months. I don't think she has samonella or blue comb disease but I'm not able to take her to the vet. Her crop is emptying and don't think she acts bad enough to have a sour crop. Also no signs of worms in her poop. Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Cluckcluck1215]

@Wyorp Rock
@TwoCrows ?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I'm sorry your hen is not doing well

How does her abdomen feel - bloated, fluid filled, soft, etc.?
When she did lay eggs, were they "normal" - any problems with shell quality, laying soft shell, shell-less or wrinkled eggs?

A blue(ish) comb can be an indication that there is a lack of oxygen.

Since she is a "production" hen and hasn't been laying eggs for months, there is a good possibility she may be suffering from an internal laying/reproductive disorder like Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Ascites, Salpingitis, cancer or tumors. Some symptoms of any of these would include loose/runny poop, going off feed, weight loss, sometimes swelling/fluid in the abdomen, difficulty walking (lameness) and difficulty breathing/lack of oxygen (fluid or egg masses pressing on internal organs/air sacs suppressing oxygen flow).

Do the best you can to keep her hydrated. Offer her some poultry vitamins in her water if you have them. Sometimes when not feeling well, they won't eat their normal feed, you can try seeing if she will eat some chopped egg or tuna. Make her normal feed available.

Keep us posted.

 

[TheBlessedCoop]

Okay thank you. I gave her some sardines and she ate them. She usually acts like a beast over treats but she is acting very calm. Her abdomen doesn't seemed swelled. Her crop seems bigger than the other hens but like I said she is loud and usually eats a ton. I can't say she feels completely awful but I pay pretty close attention to my hens and her behavior is definitely off. I will continue to monitor her and I hope she perks up soon!

 

[TheBlessedCoop]

Hey my hen has perked up since I have been giving her Nutri Drench once a day. She is still pale and seems like she has lost weight. I was wondering if she could have a deficiency or if the layer feed could be damaging since she doesn't lay?I use Purina layena with omega 3. It has oyster shell already added to it.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with Wyorp Rock in that it could be a reproductive problem. I would feed her some egg and put some water into her feed to make it like oatmeal. A tsp of plain yogurt daily in the feed, and keep her drinking plenty of water. The NutriDrench is good for her. If you feel that the layer feed is not good, just feed her Flock Raiser. I have some older hens who don't lay, and they eat layer without a problem. In theory roosters and non-layers should not eat layer because of the high calcium, which can lead to kidney disease and gout.

 

[TheBlessedCoop]

Okay thank you! I will try that!