hen lethargic with shriveled comb

[Chicken Lil]

Hi all,

Maybe you folks can help. I have 10 hens, all are doing well but one of my leghorns is really not looking good. Started about a month ago, she went into a full molt. About that time her once thick, red comb started to slowly shrivel up, almost like she was dehydrated. It has been getting worse, and now her comb is small, pinkish white, and limp. She eats along with everyone else, and her feathers are still skimpy.

It is not frostbite, and there is plenty of water available. She is 18 months old, and until now has been fit as a fiddle. Any ideas on what I should do?

Thanks!

 

[Elite Silkies]

I would bring her inside and warm her up. Scramble her some eggs and give her some electrolytes. If you can get some Poly Vi-Sol (no iron) give her a couple of drops. Just at the tip of her beak.

Check her over really good for mites and lice. Make sure she isn't egg bound.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

She's probably okay. Give her some high protein chow, maybe a bit of cat food, meat scraps, scrambled egg etc. It takes a long time for them to finish up with molting. You can always give her some antibiotics if you want, but I don't know what kind.

 

[emys]

If she is lethargic I would bring her someplace very warm and give her a good looking over. Any signs of parasites, worms, mites, any wheezing, mucus? At the very least sounds like she may need some extra food of a high protein content.

It is possible that with less feathers and more cold, she is using every calorie to keep warm and gradually losing body mass.

Someone else may have some more specific suggestions.

 

[henney penny]

I had one that went into a full molt this past fall,she was so thin and the others would chase her,she stayed on the roost all the time so I took her out and put her in a pen by herself so he could see the others and they could see her and let her free range during the day if I was home to watch her,and it took a good month before she looked better.I had to hand feed her when she was in the coop with the others because they would just chase her all the time.She had cottage cheese yogurt grapes and anything else I could think of to put the weight back on her.I can`t tell her apart from the others now.If you are going to leave her in the coop with the others try hand feeding her two or three times a day with a mixture of her food and cottage cheese and anything else you can think of that she would like and make sure she is drinking,if your not sure put electrolites in her feed and water.

 

[Elite Silkies]

I personally would not give antibiotics right now. As with any antibiotic the body can become immune to it and when it is needed it will not work. Once you start an antibiotic it must be finished wether it was needed or not.

Does she have any foul smell from her face? Does she have any drainage from her nostrils? Is she wheezing or sneezing? Is her vent area swollen or red? Are her eyes clear?

If she does need antibiotics your Local TSC should carry LA200, I keep Tylan on hand. You can give Tylan by mouth also. But, I think if she is going through a molt that she is needing more protein than she is getting. You might want to put her on Gamebird Feed 28% or higher for a little while.

 

[Chicken Lil]

Wow, thanks for all the input. I will have to bring her inside as there is no way to segregate her in the coop. I have noticed the other girls pushing her off her feed.

Lil

 

[henney penny]

How is she doing?