help? my chicken's comb is super cold and she is rasping?!

[lothomson]

Hi guys,

I live in Southern CA (so it's not frostbite) and my SLW hen has a cold comb. She had a cold comb last night as well, but I did not

check the temperature of it during the day. For several weeks now she has had a raspy voice; she is also very quiet (she is usually

loud). However, other than that, she seems to be fine.

Any advice would be great, thanks

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Do you worm them? How old is she? What is in her diet? Can you take pictures?

Also, any chance you could consult a vet? I understand if you cannot.

 

[lothomson]

Do you worm them? How old is she? What is in her diet? Can you take pictures?

Also, any chance you could consult a vet? I understand if you cannot.

Hi BayBay Peepers,

I have not yet wormed them, and my other hen, Joy, seems to be perfectly fine and healthy. Willow is 9 months old, about a month into laying eggs. I feed my hens Organic, Naturally Free Layer Chicken Feed along with crushed oyster shells and grit. Once in a while I will feed them vegetable scraps (kale, leaks, parsely..et.). I might be able to consult a veterinarian but I am not sure.

Today I checked the temp of Willow's comb and it was cold jut like last night. I also saw some chicken poop that didn't look so great to me, yet I saw Willow poop some healthy-looking ones too. And for the last couple of weeks, when I pick up Willow, she makes this VERY alarming noise. I will try to catch it on camera, but if not, it sounds like a "burrrrrrrrr!!" or "truuuuuuu!!". One more thing is that: she hasn't really been acting herself. She is usually sassy and she is the alpha, but recently she has been biting
hard and pecking roughly at my fingers... (she NEVER has tried to hurt me on purpose)


Here are some pics:

 

[BayBay Peepers]

That is peculiar. I would worm her just to rule it out. I use safeguard liquid wormer for goats, but valbazen is another good one. You'd have to toss her eggs for 10-14 days though. Does she feel like she has good weight? Or have you weighed her? The only other thing I can think of (and I'm hoping others will see this thread and chime in their advice) is a little vet rx. It smells almost like peppermint and you put a drop under the wings, near the nose, in the bedding. It's suppose to be all natural and help with respiratory issues.

 

[lothomson]

That is peculiar. I would worm her just to rule it out. I use safeguard liquid wormer for goats, but valbazen is another good one. You'd have to toss her eggs for 10-14 days though. Does she feel like she has good weight? Or have you weighed her? The only other thing I can think of (and I'm hoping others will see this thread and chime in their advice) is a little vet rx. It smells almost like peppermint and you put a drop under the wings, near the nose, in the bedding. It's suppose to be all natural and help with respiratory issues.

Hi,

I took her to the vet because she began to wheeze.

Apparently she has a minor respiratory infection and needs to be fed pills twice a day for a week.

The vet is also doing a fecal test (just in case), and I wouldn't be surprised if she has worms.

 

[casportpony]

Glad you were able to take her to the vet. Curiously, what antibiotic pills are you giving her?

-Kathy

 

[BayBay Peepers]

So glad to hear you were able to get her in. I hope she's on the mend quickly

 

[lothomson]

Glad you were able to take her to the vet. Curiously, what antibiotic pills are you giving her?

-Kathy

Hi Kathy,

I have been hand-feeding Willow two Clavamox pills a day for a week.