I need help please!

[ktdeluxe]

I have 11 nearly year old hens. One is having diarrhea with a lot of liquid and what look like (but of course aren't) wormy, dark, mushy stools. She has been doing this for 3 days. Also, I have just noticed that all the hens but one have gotten pale pink combs and wattles, as opposed to the bright red they had just a few days ago. Egg production is also down by about a third. I have tried the book on chicken ailments but can find nothing that addresses these issues that make any sense to me! Does anyone have any idea what is happening to my flock? I feel I need to do something because both issues seem like distress signals I can't understand. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Toddrick]

I'd suspect worms, especially if something looks like worms in the poo. The diarrhea could be a red herring though, and just a minor, unrelated issue (ate something she shouldn't have).

They could be molting if you notice feathers are missing, which is perfectly normal, causes pale combs and causes them to stop laying.

 

[ktdeluxe]

I only used to worm analogy to explain that it really looks like bulky dark yarn. They aren't really worms, just strings of poop. But I will certainly look into the worm issue, Is this a crisis I am looking at or something I can go to the farm store and get without getting overly upset? That sounds really dumb but I'm at a loss. Thanks for the guidance!

 

[Toddrick]

I only used to worm analogy to explain that it really looks like bulky dark yarn.  They aren't really worms, just strings of poop.  But I will certainly look into the worm issue,  Is this a crisis I am looking at or something I can go to the farm store and get without getting overly upset?  That sounds really dumb but I'm at a loss.  Thanks for the guidance!

There's lots of info on deworming here. The two meds that are most recommended, which you can buy at the tractor store, are Valbazen and Safeguard.

If they are just molting though, then it probably isn't necessary. Although it is still a good time to worm, since you have to throw out the eggs for a few weeks, and egg production is already low. Symptoms or not, many experts recommend worming once a year just to keep them under control.