Is this molting, or is my hen sick?

[bjdewell]

I had two sick hens, Betsy and Coco, both 9-months old, both had diarrhea and purplish/light colored combs and wattles, although they were not acting any differently. Still eating, drinking, playing in the yard, taking dust baths, interacting well with me and each other, etc. First Betsy was sick, then later, Coco. (I have four hens, the other two didn't get sick.)

Betsy was taken to the vet and diagnosed with a respiratory infection, and I started dosing her with Enroflox on November 3, 2022, for 7 days. She is now doing fine.

Then two weeks later Coco started with the symptoms, the vet said it sounded like the same infection and I picked up another Rx and started Enroflox on November 17, 2022. But I'm worried about Coco, she hasn't regained her red comb and wattles like Betsy did.

I purchased Baytril online to keep on hand, just in case.

Now I'm noticing that Coco's face looks weird. She is molting and losing feathers, seems to be the first of my four hens to molt this time, and I'm wondering: Does her face look like she's molting, or does it look like some sort of disease or infestation?

She is still eating and drinking, free ranges in the backyard scratching, pecking, eating bugs, rests, takes dust baths, etc., along with the others as she has always done. I'm not sure if she's laying right now, but out of my four, I'm only getting two eggs a day, and it's hard to tell who is laying when, only one hen lays eggs that look different from the others.

One of the hens also has diarrhea sometimes, watery white with a bit of brown poop, and I think it's Coco. Usually that's the first large morning poop. I've been following them around in the morning to see who it is, but can't catch anyone leaving poop that isn't normal looking. So I'm guessing that it's Coco.

I've been giving them scrambled eggs in the afternoon for the last week, along with Healthy Gut Probiotic for Poultry, which I sprinkle on the scrambled eggs.

I was able to get some good photos of Coco's face, they are below. For reference is a photo of Annie with the normal red color of their combs/wattles. I'm not sure Coco has ever had that robust of an appearance, is it possible she is just not able to produce that much red?

Does anyone have ideas or suggestions? Coco's really hard to catch; she used to be my friendliest hen, but after the Baytril doses, she scoots away from me. (But Betsy is now my best friend!)

Which reminds me… has anyone purchased a net for catching a hen when needed? I don't want to do that, it would be pretty scary for them, but if I need to take her to the vet again, I have to be sure I can catch her.

Thanks so much for any help! And for all the help and advice I've already received and/or read about on this Forum. You all ROCK!

 

[Fwoof]

I had two sick hens, Betsy and Coco, both 9-months old, both had diarrhea and purplish/light colored combs and wattles, although they were not acting any differently. Still eating, drinking, playing in the yard, taking dust baths, interacting well with me and each other, etc. First Betsy was sick, then later, Coco. (I have four hens, the other two didn't get sick.)

Betsy was taken to the vet and diagnosed with a respiratory infection, and I started dosing her with Enroflox on November 3, 2022, for 7 days. She is now doing fine.

Then two weeks later Coco started with the symptoms, the vet said it sounded like the same infection and I picked up another Rx and started Enroflox on November 17, 2022. But I'm worried about Coco, she hasn't regained her red comb and wattles like Betsy did.

I purchased Baytril online to keep on hand, just in case.

Now I'm noticing that Coco's face looks weird. She is molting and losing feathers, seems to be the first of my four hens to molt this time, and I'm wondering: Does her face look like she's molting, or does it look like some sort of disease or infestation?

She is still eating and drinking, free ranges in the backyard scratching, pecking, eating bugs, rests, takes dust baths, etc., along with the others as she has always done. I'm not sure if she's laying right now, but out of my four, I'm only getting two eggs a day, and it's hard to tell who is laying when, only one hen lays eggs that look different from the others.

One of the hens also has diarrhea sometimes, watery white with a bit of brown poop, and I think it's Coco. Usually that's the first large morning poop. I've been following them around in the morning to see who it is, but can't catch anyone leaving poop that isn't normal looking. So I'm guessing that it's Coco.

I've been giving them scrambled eggs in the afternoon for the last week, along with Healthy Gut Probiotic for Poultry, which I sprinkle on the scrambled eggs.

I was able to get some good photos of Coco's face, they are below. For reference is a photo of Annie with the normal red color of their combs/wattles. I'm not sure Coco has ever had that robust of an appearance, is it possible she is just not able to produce that much red?

Does anyone have ideas or suggestions? Coco's really hard to catch; she used to be my friendliest hen, but after the Baytril doses, she scoots away from me. (But Betsy is now my best friend!)

Which reminds me… has anyone purchased a net for catching a hen when needed? I don't want to do that, it would be pretty scary for them, but if I need to take her to the vet again, I have to be sure I can catch her.

Thanks so much for any help! And for all the help and advice I've already received and/or read about on this Forum. You all ROCK!

There's definetly something that's bugging Coco and Betsy, but it's probably nothing serious. I doubt they have respritory infections, unless they are coughing, sneezing, sniffling, gasping, or have runny eyes or a runny nose. I suspect some mild infestation of internal parasites, but I'm no expert, so these people might be able to help. I hope your girls get better! @speckledhen @Eggcessive

 

[speckledhen]

Did this vet say what type of respiratory-whatever she has? Did he test? Some vets will prescribe drugs for everything, not even knowing what they're even treating, then people are left with Typhoid Marys in their flocks, permanent carriers. This is one reason I don't generally recommend taking chickens to a vet unless the vet has his/her own chickens and is well-versed in avian disease (well, I've never taken one to a vet myself in the entire 18 years we've had chickens, though I have consulted with vets I personally know and trust through email about this or that, but I have little faith in most of them for treating chickens). Some vets will admit he/she doesn't even know what's wrong and will prescribe unnecessary drugs to appease the client-they know pet owners don't want to hear some of the things they really should be telling them. My management philosophy is to never treat contagious illness and any of my advice will stem from that management style, though it's not what most want to hear. I never recommend antibiotics unless you are 100% sure what you are treating is a non-contagious bacterial infection because I don't give them myself and won't recommend others do what I won't do with my own chickens. They mess up the gut and could set up antibiotic-resistance if used improperly. Plus, most chicken diseases are not cured by them anyway.
That said, your pullet there has signs of molting next to the comb and her hackles are missing feathers as well. Nine months old is the first mini-molt they have before the big one hits at around 18-20 months old. Most breeze through that, though some may lose a bit of weight and stop laying altogether for a bit, especially if they're being fed low protein feeds/ too much scratch resulting in not enough good nutrition. Generally, that first mini-molt should not be a big event of any kind. You can certainly dust them for lice/mites to be sure that is not an issue, can't hurt, might help.
Did you buy these hens grown or raise them from chicks? Nine months old is very young and they shouldn't have symptoms of illness from this early molt.Maybe they're having an especially hard time with this molt, who knows? I can't say for sure what's wrong with your girls.

 

[Meri Maura]

I had two sick hens, Betsy and Coco, both 9-months old, both had diarrhea and purplish/light colored combs and wattles, although they were not acting any differently. Still eating, drinking, playing in the yard, taking dust baths, interacting well with me and each other, etc. First Betsy was sick, then later, Coco. (I have four hens, the other two didn't get sick.)

Betsy was taken to the vet and diagnosed with a respiratory infection, and I started dosing her with Enroflox on November 3, 2022, for 7 days. She is now doing fine.

Then two weeks later Coco started with the symptoms, the vet said it sounded like the same infection and I picked up another Rx and started Enroflox on November 17, 2022. But I'm worried about Coco, she hasn't regained her red comb and wattles like Betsy did.

I purchased Baytril online to keep on hand, just in case.

Now I'm noticing that Coco's face looks weird. She is molting and losing feathers, seems to be the first of my four hens to molt this time, and I'm wondering: Does her face look like she's molting, or does it look like some sort of disease or infestation?

She is still eating and drinking, free ranges in the backyard scratching, pecking, eating bugs, rests, takes dust baths, etc., along with the others as she has always done. I'm not sure if she's laying right now, but out of my four, I'm only getting two eggs a day, and it's hard to tell who is laying when, only one hen lays eggs that look different from the others.

One of the hens also has diarrhea sometimes, watery white with a bit of brown poop, and I think it's Coco. Usually that's the first large morning poop. I've been following them around in the morning to see who it is, but can't catch anyone leaving poop that isn't normal looking. So I'm guessing that it's Coco.

I've been giving them scrambled eggs in the afternoon for the last week, along with Healthy Gut Probiotic for Poultry, which I sprinkle on the scrambled eggs.

I was able to get some good photos of Coco's face, they are below. For reference is a photo of Annie with the normal red color of their combs/wattles. I'm not sure Coco has ever had that robust of an appearance, is it possible she is just not able to produce that much red?

Does anyone have ideas or suggestions? Coco's really hard to catch; she used to be my friendliest hen, but after the Baytril doses, she scoots away from me. (But Betsy is now my best friend!)

Which reminds me… has anyone purchased a net for catching a hen when needed? I don't want to do that, it would be pretty scary for them, but if I need to take her to the vet again, I have to be sure I can catch her.

Thanks so much for any help! And for all the help and advice I've already received and/or read about on this Forum. You all ROCK!

Coco's face looks fine. Black chickens generally have some black on their face. As for the missing feathers near her comb, that is completely normal. It could have occurred from a scrape, scratch, or peck. Also, I doubt that they had respotory infections. Most vets, especially ones that aren't specifically avian, will try to take advantage of people who they think don't know much about chickens. If they weren't exhibiting any signs such as gasping, sneezing, coughing ect. they most likely were fine. (They may not have sick at all.)
As for the net, I have a special bond with almost all of my chickens, even the flighty ones. Sometimes, however, if some didn't want to go in at night. I will use a large fish net to catch them with. I have found that, while they do flip out initially, there is no long term grudge.
I hope this helps.

 

[Meri Maura]

Coco's face looks fine. Black chickens generally have some black on their face. As for the missing feathers near her comb, that is completely normal. It could have occurred from a scrape, scratch, or peck. Also, I doubt that they had respotory infections. Most vets, especially ones that aren't specifically avian, will try to take advantage of people who they think don't know much about chickens. If they weren't exhibiting any signs such as gasping, sneezing, coughing ect. they most likely were fine. (They may not have sick at all.)
As for the net, I have a special bond with almost all of my chickens, even the flighty ones. Sometimes, however, if some didn't want to go in at night. I will use a large fish net to catch them with. I have found that, while they do flip out initially, there is no long term grudge.
I hope this helps.

 

[bjdewell]

Did this vet say what type of respiratory-whatever she has? Did he test? Some vets will prescribe drugs for everything, not even knowing what they're even treating, then people are left with Typhoid Marys in their flocks, permanent carriers. This is one reason I don't generally recommend taking chickens to a vet unless the vet has his/her own chickens and is well-versed in avian disease (well, I've never taken one to a vet myself in the entire 18 years we've had chickens, though I have consulted with vets I personally know and trust through email about this or that, but I have little faith in most of them for treating chickens). Some vets will admit he/she doesn't even know what's wrong and will prescribe unnecessary drugs to appease the client-they know pet owners don't want to hear some of the things they really should be telling them. My management philosophy is to never treat contagious illness and any of my advice will stem from that management style, though it's not what most want to hear. I never recommend antibiotics unless you are 100% sure what you are treating is a non-contagious bacterial infection because I don't give them myself and won't recommend others do what I won't do with my own chickens. They mess up the gut and could set up antibiotic-resistance if used improperly. Plus, most chicken diseases are not cured by them anyway.
That said, your pullet there has signs of molting next to the comb and her hackles are missing feathers as well. Nine months old is the first mini-molt they have before the big one hits at around 18-20 months old. Most breeze through that, though some may lose a bit of weight and stop laying altogether for a bit, especially if they're being fed low protein feeds/ too much scratch resulting in not enough good nutrition. Generally, that first mini-molt should not be a big event of any kind. You can certainly dust them for lice/mites to be sure that is not an issue, can't hurt, might help.
Did you buy these hens grown or raise them from chicks? Nine months old is very young and they shouldn't have symptoms of illness from this early molt.Maybe they're having an especially hard time with this molt, who knows? I can't say for sure what's wrong with your girls.

There's definetly something that's bugging Coco and Betsy, but it's probably nothing serious. I doubt they have respritory infections, unless they are coughing, sneezing, sniffling, gasping, or have runny eyes or a runny nose. I suspect some mild infestation of internal parasites, but I'm no expert, so these people might be able to help. I hope your girls get better! @speckledhen @Eggcessive

There's definetly something that's bugging Coco and Betsy, but it's probably nothing serious. I doubt they have respritory infections, unless they are coughing, sneezing, sniffling, gasping, or have runny eyes or a runny nose. I suspect some mild infestation of internal parasites, but I'm no expert, so these people might be able to help. I hope your girls get better! @speckledhen @Eggcessive

There's definetly something that's bugging Coco and Betsy, but it's probably nothing serious. I doubt they have respritory infections, unless they are coughing, sneezing, sniffling, gasping, or have runny eyes or a runny nose. I suspect some mild infestation of internal parasites, but I'm no expert, so these people might be able to help. I hope your girls get better! @speckledhen @Eggcessive

There's definetly something that's bugging Coco and Betsy, but it's probably nothing serious. I doubt they have respritory infections, unless they are coughing, sneezing, sniffling, gasping, or have runny eyes or a runny nose. I suspect some mild infestation of internal parasites, but I'm no expert, so these people might be able to help. I hope your girls get better! @speckledhen @Eggcessive

Fwoof, speckledhen, Meri Maura​

I'm having trouble answering without repeating your replies. I'm sorry, is there a way to delete the replies I've quoted, or a link to the directions for better replies?

Thank you ALL so much for your very detailed responses! I’m cc’ing you my reply, so I won’t have to “re-create the wheel!”

My vet clinic has two vets who rotate between three clinics in the area. The first visit she saw a vet not especially knowledgeable about chickens, but he called the other vet, who is a chicken lover and very knowledgeable, he said. He gave her the symptoms over the phone, confirming with her what he thought was a respiratory infection, and the Rx was prescribed.

But you (and others mentioned in other posts) brought up the symptoms of a respiratory infection, coughing, sneezing, sniffling, gasping, runny eyes or a runny nose, just like what a human would have, and my hens have had none of that. The second hen didn't see a vet, just got the Rx, and then I ordered more online, so I wouldn't have to pay so much if this was going to be a chronic issue.

I think you're all correct, it wasn't a respiratory infection at all. I seem to be overthinking things, and really appreciate your knowledge and advice! I haven’t had chickens since I was young, and this is really the first time I’ve paid such close attention. I guess I’m noticing things that are common and usually resolve themselves. You’ve given me peace of mind. Thank you again from a 78-year-old, anxious chicken mom!

 

[speckledhen]

You'll find that even people who seem knowledgeable about chickens at times will have erroneous ideas, even some vets. One vet I knew who was actually a fairly famous KY horse vet yet treated my late best friend's chickens and consulted with me a few times said all vets do some work on avians in school, but very little unless it's their concentration and he even found grevious errors in a state vet's report, said it was complete garbage when he saw it. And that man knew his stuff. My late father who grew up on a farm and had a lot of experience raising chickens, whose own father was a grower for a commercial chicken company, had mistaken ideas. So, I am leery of some of these vets prescribing meds when they really have no idea what they're treating, if it's a virus that won't even respond to antibiotics or something where antibiotics can make the condition worse, like a fungal lung infection. You're doing well giving them extra protein and probiotics so I hope they feel better soon.

 

[Meri Maura]

You'll find that even people who seem knowledgeable about chickens at times will have erroneous ideas, even some vets. One vet I knew who was actually a fairly famous KY horse vet yet treated my late best friend's chickens and consulted with me a few times said all vets do some work on avians in school, but very little unless it's their concentration and he even found grevious errors in a state vet's report, said it was complete garbage when he saw it. And that man knew his stuff. My late father who grew up on a farm and had a lot of experience raising chickens, whose own father was a grower for a commercial chicken company, had mistaken ideas. So, I am leery of some of these vets prescribing meds when they really have no idea what they're treating, if it's a virus that won't even respond to antibiotics or something where antibiotics can make the condition worse, like a fungal lung infection. You're doing well giving them extra protein and probiotics so I hope they feel better soon.

I have bad ideas sometimes too

 

[bjdewell]

You'll find that even people who seem knowledgeable about chickens at times will have erroneous ideas, even some vets. One vet I knew who was actually a fairly famous KY horse vet yet treated my late best friend's chickens and consulted with me a few times said all vets do some work on avians in school, but very little unless it's their concentration and he even found grevious errors in a state vet's report, said it was complete garbage when he saw it. And that man knew his stuff. My late father who grew up on a farm and had a lot of experience raising chickens, whose own father was a grower for a commercial chicken company, had mistaken ideas. So, I am leery of some of these vets prescribing meds when they really have no idea what they're treating, if it's a virus that won't even respond to antibiotics or something where antibiotics can make the condition worse, like a fungal lung infection. You're doing well giving them extra protein and probiotics so I hope they feel better soon.

Thank you so much! This is excellent information to know. I've read that sometimes it takes a while until an ailing hen is feeling better, so whether this is all caused by her molt or something else, I'm just going to be patient and try to get her to be her old friendly self. And make sure she gets her own little plate of scrambled eggs with probiotics sprinkled on it.

 

[speckledhen]

She's ahead of the game already, having an owner who cares about her. Good luck! Let us know if she improves.