Ill chicken purple comb

[Feathers11]

Hi
My 5 year old amber chicken has been ill for 4 days. Water was coming out of her mouth and was lethargic. She was still eating. I thought it was an impacted crop and massaged the crop to remove food. This stopped the water leaking from her mouth. I took her to the vet who said it wasn't lice and heart okay. She was wormed only 2 months ago. Been given antibiotics. Now our amber has stopped eating, but drinking lots. Not moving, shaking her head, closed eyes. Her comb is going purple too. But there's no sneezing or breathing noises.

What do you think is wrong?

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry about your hen. Is her lower belly distended or swollen? Has she laid eggs recently? How does her crop feel early in the morning—empty, full, hard, doughy, or soft and puffy? Can you check her skin all over and under her vent for lice and mites?

 

[Feathers11]

Hi, Amber hasn't laid properly for a couple of years. She seems better in the morning, then deteriorates through the day. Her crop seems empty in the morning but she's hardly eating. Just yogurt and a bit of egg.

 

[Skeet691]

I hope your Amber is ok. Sounds to me that Amber is an older Chicken & may well be at the end of laying. First & foremost is I would offer any foods she can eat & offer freshwater along with a bowl of water with a dash of apple cider vinegar & minced garlic. Sliced apples were wonderful for my girl when she showed the same symptoms, I am wondering why she was on antibiotics. Also, keep her warm & confined.

 

[Eggcessive]

Heart failure, dehydration, or respiratory failure can cause a blue comb. My bantam hen this week showed a dark comb when she developed ascites (water belly.) It would get worse if she was handled. After I drained fluid from her abdomen, the comb color improved.