Help! Pale comb and wattles, lethargy, weight loss, feathers falling out

[wynter]

I was also going to suggest molting. I thought I had a very sick hen, and that's what it ended up being. My hen also molted at a very odd time and way earlier than I was told they would. I finally consulted a poultry educator at the university, I was so worried. I was told they don't necessarily molt at regular intervals but on their own schedule.

I'm hoping that's all it is. It makes me sad to see her all depressed, haha! She worries me when she lays down and is super still, because she is never like that.

 

[rebrascora]

Actually feeding scratch grains if they don't have grit is not healthy because they need grit to break down the grains, whereas their pellets or crumble turn to mush when mixed with the water they drink and doesn't need grinding at all. Also, scratch grains are lower in protein than layer feed, so by feeding them scratch you are actually diluting their protein intake when you need to be increasing it. This lower grade food may even have triggered an early moult or she could be having problems with her digestive tract if she hasn't had access to grit and has been eating grains.

The grit is there to break down the hard grains in scratch a bit like milling corn.

 

[Abriana]

I would say molting as well.

 

[rebrascora]

Some years they just have a partial moult, the neck area is quite common for this. Other years it can be an out and out, all over, scary, baldness or just a light all over moult, where they just look scruffy and you don't see any noticeable bald patches.

The fact that she is lying around is concerning and I think you need to check her crop and vent. Some hens lay soft shelled or shell less eggs as their cycle comes to an end and they start to moult because their body is becoming depleted of calcium. These are very difficult to expel and may take a couple of days of being egg bound and spasming to get them out, which is very tiring for the bird. Some extra calcium in the form of a liquid supplement or even a Tums tablet crushed onto a favourite treat might help and a warm Epsom salts bath soak or two, to help relax her and perhaps a little lubrication of her vent with KY jelly or equivalent.
Again the scratch you have given them will dilute their intake of calcium, so this may also have aggravated the situation.... How much scratch have you been giving them?

 

[wynter]

Some years they just have a partial moult, the neck area is quite common for this. Other years it can be an out and out, all over, scary, baldness or just a light all over moult, where they just look scruffy and you don't see any noticeable bald patches.

The fact that she is lying around is concerning and I think you need to check her crop and vent. Some hens lay soft shelled or shell less eggs as their cycle comes to an end and they start to moult because their body is becoming depleted of calcium. These are very difficult to expel and may take a couple of days of being egg bound and spasming to get them out, which is very tiring for the bird. Some extra calcium in the form of a liquid supplement or even a Tums tablet crushed onto a favourite treat might help and a warm Epsom salts bath soak or two, to help relax her and perhaps a little lubrication of her vent with KY jelly or equivalent.
Again the scratch you have given them will dilute their intake of calcium, so this may also have aggravated the situation.... How much scratch have you been giving them?

On appearance, it doesn't look like she is molting, I just notice that her feathers are coming out easily. But I suppose it could take a few days for her to look scruffy, haha.

I will get some calcium into her for sure and see if that helps. I have four hens and I give them a handful of scratch every other day or so, I was introducing it slowly.

I have also determined its definitely her with the diarrhea. Is this normal for a molting/egg bound chicken?

 

[wynter]

Actually feeding scratch grains if they don't have grit is not healthy because they need grit to break down the grains, whereas their pellets or crumble turn to mush when mixed with the water they drink and doesn't need grinding at all. Also, scratch grains are lower in protein than layer feed, so by feeding them scratch you are actually diluting their protein intake when you need to be increasing it. This lower grade food may even have triggered an early moult or she could be having problems with her digestive tract if she hasn't had access to grit and has been eating grains.

The grit is there to break down the hard grains in scratch a bit like milling corn.

This makes sense, I didn't know this. Thank you!

 

[rebrascora]

Yes, if she is egg bound, it will prevent solid poop being excreted past the blockage caused by the egg, so just liquid faeces will leak or get pushed out. This is one of the main reasons why being egg bound can be fatal, as the digestive tract gets blocked and can either rupture with the straining to pass it or become infected as faeces cannot be eliminated. You may need to glove up and give her an internal exam with a lubed finger to see if you can feel an egg, although if it is a shell less one it will be difficult to differentiate between than and her intestines. Massaging her abdomen and easing and lubricating the inside of her vent may help her to pass more faeces as well as helping to get the egg moving. Best done in the water so that if there is a rush of faeces it comes out in and is contained by the water rather than splattering all over you as can happen if she is badly stopped back.

 

[wynter]

Thank you everyone for your advice.
She passed away today.

 

[rebrascora]

So sorry to hear that she passed.

It's really difficult to diagnose a bird through someone else's observation and perspective. I'm sorry we got onto the wrong cause of her behaviour initially.

If you are interested in learning more about why she died, you can send her off for a necropsy or if you are not squeamish you can open her up yourself and have a look. If she was egg bound, perhaps with a shell less egg, it should be reasonably obvious as you will see it just inside the cloaca and her gut will probably be distended.
It can help to examine what was going on inside so that you can perhaps recognise the symptoms next time and know better how treat it. I appreciate it is not something everyone can get their head around, but if you do decide to give it a go, take photos of what you find so that you can post them here and we can help figure it out.

 

[Husker Chick]

I'm so sorry. I lost a hen 2 weeks ago, and it's very sad, especially when we don't know what happened.