Comb changes, not laying, feather loss over 2 months

[margiejoe]

Hello!
Looking for some advice on what’s going on with my barnevelder. A couple month ago she seemed to be going through some stress and just has not recovered. Trying to figure out what I can do to help her.
Backstory…
In august/September we had some construction going on with a deck being added. This seemed to stress Wilma out much more than our other chickens. We also got a puppy, who has not ever hurt the chickens but has spooked them several times. One day she scared poor Wilma who popped out an egg as she was trying to get away. That was the last egg that she’s laid in 2 months.

So now, her symptoms. Besides not laying for 2 months, she’s had watery poop and her comb and wattles look like they’ve shrunk. Instead of being bright red (like they used to be) they are a more dull color, almost purplish. She also has been losing a lot of feathers every day. Not really enough for it to be noticeable when you look at her but daily as I clean the coop I see her feathers all over the place. The watery poop was making me think parasite or something, but my 3 other chickens do not have the same issue. My other chickens also have normal looking combs. These symptoms have been ongoing for 2 months.
I am adding some photos. The first one is Wilma when she had just laid her first egg, you can see she has bright red comb and wattles. The other two pictures are from today, you can see her comb is much smaller and not bright. Wilma is just under a year old.
Thanks for your help!

 

[margiejoe]

Adding better “now” photo

 

[CoopBoots]

She's a gorgeous girl!

Given she is close to a year old, and (at least in my part of the world) we are headed into winter, it could be a molt. Maybe she just got a start on it early thanks to the stressful events?

My molting girls go pale in the face, get lethargic, stop laying, and definitely act a little unwell. They do not seem to spend any time in the coop or nestboxes, however--is Wilma still keeping up with her flock mates outside, and eating and drinking well?

 

[DobieLover]

Sounds like she is having a slow molt.

 

[margiejoe]

She's a gorgeous girl!

Given she is close to a year old, and (at least in my part of the world) we are headed into winter, it could be a molt. Maybe she just got a start on it early thanks to the stressful events?

My molting girls go pale in the face, get lethargic, stop laying, and definitely act a little unwell. They do not seem to spend any time in the coop or nestboxes, however--is Wilma still keeping up with her flock mates outside, and eating and drinking well?

Thanks for your response! I did think it was a molt at first but it’s gone on for awhile.. Though I’m fairly new at this so not sure how long a molt can last. She is keeping up for the most part, there have been times when she hangs out in the coop alone especially during the construction. Now that it’s getting colder they have all been hanging out in the coop more. Eating and drinking has been normal.

 

[margiejoe]

Sounds like she is having a slow molt.

Thank you!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have had chickens take a few months to molt. You might try a higher protein food like feather fixer to see if it helps her get back to her old self.