Help Needed! - Symptoms Associated with Molting or Something Else?

[Dreammaker]

Hi,

I posted on a different forum wanting confirmation that my Swedish Flower Hen, Helga, is molting. She does indeed seem to be, but is having additional symptoms. I'm not sure if they're related to molting or if something else is going on here. I should note that where we are--Massachusetts--we've been in a heat wave and I'm sure it's not helping.

Here's my last post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ting-signs-and-support.1539968/#post-25984733

In a nutshell: This morning, I discovered very watery poop in a nesting box that Helga had visited, but no egg. About an hour ago, I observed her for a few minutes and saw that her comb and wattles look less vibrant and ever-so-slightly blue/purplish. She shook her head side to side a few minutes (as if saying "no") followed by intermittent head-dropping.

Could all of this be related to the stress of molting and/or heat or is something else going on, such as an illness or parasitic infection?

Note: I didn't take any pictures of the poop (I should have, perhaps), and will try to see if I can film her doing this head thing.

 

[Battlepants]

Blue/purplish comb is a sign of lack of oxygen in the blood. This is very unlikely to be connected to the molt and probably the most urgent issue at hand. I suspect this is connected to the head-dropping as lack of oxygen in the blood can cause intermittent blackouts.

Initially, if at all possible, I would bring her inside to live in the air conditioning while she is recovering. If this is a form of heatstoke, this initial move will help. Otherwise, this should just make things a bit easier on her. I would probably only provide water (with electrolytes, if possible) at this time while she cools off a bit and we can check her out a bit more.

As for the watery poop, what color is it? Pictures are welcome as well.

Is she currently eating/drinking? How does the crop feel?

 

[Dreammaker]

Hi,

So, the comb/wattle color might be me overthinking. It does look off though; not her usual color. See attached picture. It's hard for me to say whether this is considered blue-ish or just pale, the latter of which might be heat/molt-related.

Re: moving indoors, I've been reluctant to do so because the heat we're experiencing is unlikely to go away anytime soon and we're leaving in 5 days for vacation (great timing!). I'm concerned the temperature fluctuation from a nice, cool AC'd house to back out in the heat and humidity would bring about problems on its own. I also can't leave her in the house alone with us gone. By the same token, I agree that the heat is not helping her. We thankfully are down to mid-80s with a light breeze today.

No pics of that weird poop in the box, unfortunately. It was brownish yellow, much like the color of their feed, with whitish bits that I'm guessing are urea? Perhaps yeast/gleet though.

I'm not alarmed by the watery poop on its own, as the heat has undoubtedly led to increased water I take and I'm still seeing normal poop from the others (and maybe her as well, but I'm not seeing it?).

Here's a video of her just now:

 

[Dreammaker]

Forgot to add...

She is drinking and eating somewhat. I don't see her by the food and water a lot, but I do catch her sometimes. It's hard for me to assess exactly how much she's eating and drinking. She doesn't seem to have a really hearty appetite, but did excitedly run for some Grubblies yesterday or the day before; I forget when it was.

Haven't felt her crop recently, as I've been avoiding handling g her with her pin feathers coming in. Plus, she's very evasive when I try to catch her. I may try again though at some point today or tonight as she's roosting.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Can you please post photos of her and her poop?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Check her crop to make sure it's emptying overnight.

Look her over for lice/mites.

 

[Battlepants]

Not seeing blue/purple in the comb, so I think we are in the clear on that piece at least. And yea, with it being 80 outside and none of your chickens looking overheated in that video, it doesn't look necessary to bring this one inside.

As for the poop, I think this might be the best direction to investigate. I found a site with a decent number of pictures of various poops, could you let me know if any of these poops match up with what you saw this morning?

https://cs-tf.com/chicken-poop/

 

[Dreammaker]

Can you please post photos of her and her poop?

I posted a picture and video in one of my previous comments. Please let me know if there's an issue viewing them. No poop pictures available... yet. I will try, if I can manage to identify that it's hers.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I saw some of the video.
Check her crop.

 

[Dreammaker]

Not seeing blue/purple in the comb, so I think we are in the clear on that piece at least. And yea, with it being 80 outside and none of your chickens looking overheated in that video, it doesn't look necessary to bring this one inside.

As for the poop, I think this might be the best direction to investigate. I found a site with a decent number of pictures of various poops, could you let me know if any of these poops match up with what you saw this morning?

https://cs-tf.com/chicken-poop/

Thank you for your input and the link!

So, colorwise--brownish/yellow with bits of white. Texturewise--watery/runny. It's difficult to describe and I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture. It was the last thing I wanted to deal with before sending my kids to camp this AM. Plus, since it was mixed in with the straw, it was especially hard to decipher.