Is this a sick gal?

[kimchick621]

​

Sorry for the picture that is so far away, but I needed to catch her doing what she was doing. Take a look at the bird with the arrow pointing at her.

I've noticed for a few weeks now that when I'm not around her, she is sitting this way. Kinda hunched in with her head tucked in. She eats fine, but she isn't laying like the other adult hens in the flock are. She still pecks at the young ones for position, and she seems to be slightly molting.

I've been wondering why she wasn't laying, she molted in the fall, laid a few eggs right around December, and hasn't laid anything since.

If more pictures would be helpful, I'm happy to do it. I wanted to grab a snapshot of her sitting like this though, which she perks up when I walk out of the house because she wants scratch. The other birds are in the corner picking at the stuff I had just put out about 10 minutes ago.

Any thoughts? Is it normal for birds to get a second molt so quickly? Do I have a sick gal who should be separated? Should I go get some more close ups? So sorry for all the questions. She's my favorite gal.

 

[kimchick621]

Ok, here's a few more pictures...closer up. Next to her buddy you can see that her comb is paler, and her tail feathers are messy. I looked around today and she has definitely shed some feathers around the run. Is it normal for a hen to have two molts in less than 6 months or is she sick?
.

Is this a healthy face?

 

[Michael Apple]

In that picture it looks like a powdery white substance on the wattles. Is it that or is it pale skin?

 

[kimchick621]

I thought it was dry skin. A few times this winter I've put some petroleum jelly on her comb and wattles to protect them from the cold and dry air.

 

[Michael Apple]

Touch it and see if any is removed from the wattles.
Sometimes the cold or frostbite can bring on an infection. When is the last time you wormed your birds and what did you worm them with?

 

[kimchick621]

I wormed my girls last fall, I used Wazine. I've read that squash/pumpkin is a natural wormer and it being winter we're eating lots of winter squash for dinners, so they're getting the goop/seeds from the squash too.

 

[Michael Apple]

I worm mine 3 times a year beginning each season. Wazine only removes roundworms. I use 2 different wormers. One called Wormazole and the other, Neokil. Both kill all the types of worms. People promoting the use of DE, squash, pumpkin, cayenne pepper are promoting ineffective preventatives that sound "green". None will prevent worms or rid the bird of them. Ivermectin topicals are equally worthless. Many feed stores carry Valbazen (same as Wormazole) or Zimectrin Gold. Valbazen is 1cc down the throat for large birds/ 1/2 cc for Bantams. Zimectrin Gold is completely safe provided a milo or popcorn kernel sized amount is given. Then it must be done again 10 days later like most other wormers. Did you touch those wattles yet?

 

[kimchick621]

Well, if anything pumpkin and squash are healthy food scraps.

I just went out and felt her comb and wattles, no powder came off. Is that a good sign?

 

[kimchick621]

Also in the fall, I was specifically treating them for roundworms. I caught some in one of the hen's poo so I treated the whole flock (and the dog while I was at it). Do you suggest I go ahead and get those other two wormers and worm them now?

 

[Michael Apple]

Also in the fall, I was specifically treating them for roundworms. I caught some in one of the hen's poo so I treated the whole flock (and the dog while I was at it). Do you suggest I go ahead and get those other two wormers and worm them now?

Yes on the pale wattles. No residue coming off is a good sign. I was looking for some possible fungal infection. I'd recommend the Valbazen 11.36% Albendazole. Shake up the bottle, draw 1 cc (if it's a not a Bantam) and squirt it down her throat and do it again in 10 days. You might as well do the whole flock. Let us know how the particular hen is doing in the meantime.You could also give some Vitamins Electrolytes Plus powder at 1 tsp per gallon of water for a couple days after you worm. You don't need to withhold feed with Valbazen or any of the wormers I mentioned. Look around the areas where they range for any dead birds, rodents, rotten/moldy vegetation, or fungi and get it away from them.