Newbie Here...HELP! Lethargic and comb id pink & limp

[mudwoman]

I am a little concerned,there should be poop in her carrier. Have you considered egg bound,is she walking funny? When egg bound it can restrict there ability to poop. Chickens are notorious poopers,is she not eating? If her crop is full,she should be pooping. If her crop has not gone down(empty)and she is not eating,i would suspect impacted crop. Check this by feeling crop at night,after eating(should be full)check again in morning,before eating(should be empty)this way you will know.

Ten chicks, I hope you read my evening update. I'm expecting an empty crop in the morning, as you post suggests. Fingers crossed.

 

[ten chicks]

Ten chicks, I hope you read my evening update. I'm expecting an empty crop in the morning, as you post suggests. Fingers crossed.

Best wishes for her! Keeping my fingers crossed also.

 

[mudwoman]

Good morning my new chicken helper pal's!
Morning update:
She is up and about with the flock. She is acting completely normall. Very active and all over the property with her flock. She won't let me near her to feel her crop. Which I figure is a good thing, since yesterday, she felt so poorly, she was my little lap baby. Her comb still looks shitty but, I'm not going to worry because I know she is hydrated. I don't believe she is egg bound, as she is trotting around perfectly normal and her foot is not curled up any longer. She is drinking water. I'm relatively sure she is eating too.
In other good news: I was able to unload my biggest Roo last night, and people are interested in the others. We have a facebook page here that us locals use called "Cathlamet Buy& Sell". I posted photos yesterday of all the 3 roosters & poof went the bully last night. Praying for the others to get out of here quickly.
Like I mentioned earlier, they do not fight, they posture at each other and jump the hens repeatedly throughout the day. I have known from the start that 3 of the 4 must go, and after yesterday, I'm on overdrive to get them out of here!
So, for now, I THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for coming to my rescue. I used so many of your suggestions, that I believe without all of you, things may have gone in a different direction. I know that I can be gone today and not be worrying the entire time about her, thanks to our collaborative effort.
Have a TERRIFIC DAY!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

That's great that she is acting better today. It is strange that she did not poop for so long yesterday. I have never read about chickens getting constipated. Anyhow. i hope she continues to improve.

 

[ten chicks]

Good morning my new chicken helper pal's!
Morning update:
She is up and about with the flock. She is acting completely normall. Very active and all over the property with her flock. She won't let me near her to feel her crop. Which I figure is a good thing, since yesterday, she felt so poorly, she was my little lap baby. Her comb still looks shitty but, I'm not going to worry because I know she is hydrated. I don't believe she is egg bound, as she is trotting around perfectly normal and her foot is not curled up any longer. She is drinking water. I'm relatively sure she is eating too.
In other good news: I was able to unload my biggest Roo last night, and people are interested in the others. We have a facebook page here that us locals use called "Cathlamet Buy& Sell". I posted photos yesterday of all the 3 roosters & poof went the bully last night. Praying for the others to get out of here quickly.
Like I mentioned earlier, they do not fight, they posture at each other and jump the hens repeatedly throughout the day. I have known from the start that 3 of the 4 must go, and after yesterday, I'm on overdrive to get them out of here!
So, for now, I THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART for coming to my rescue. I used so many of your suggestions, that I believe without all of you, things may have gone in a different direction. I know that I can be gone today and not be worrying the entire time about her, thanks to our collaborative effort.
Have a TERRIFIC DAY!

Love happy endings!

 

[mudwoman]

That's great that she is acting better today.  It is strange that she did not poop for so long yesterday.  I have never read about chickens getting constipated.  Anyhow. i hope she continues to improve.

Well,
Thankfully it's over, or is improving, as you said....Poop's, no poop's, lot's of poop's, little bit's of poop's, it's was an all around poopy day yesterday! I appreciate your concern so very much.

 

[jusahippiechick]

So glad you started this thread. I actually found it by searching "comb issues". I have a ?Red Star? that was fine yesterday, but showing many of your chicken's symptoms. Lethargic, standing in one place, and shaking her head a little. Comb seems off color, fallen (was straight up), and a little shriveled. Hoping some of these suggestions help me, too.

 

[mudwoman]

So glad you started this thread.  I actually found it by searching "comb issues". I have a ?Red Star? that was fine yesterday, but showing many of your chicken's symptoms.  Lethargic, standing in one place, and shaking her head a little. Comb seems off color, fallen (was straight up), and a little shriveled.  Hoping some of these suggestions help me, too.

Hi there,
I used all the suggestions! I have no idea what was going on that day, but, by the next morning she was herself again, and is doing great as I write this, still. However, that next day, her comb still looked crappy to me for about a week. It has not returned to it's bright red, but it is almost standing up straight. I figure it may have always been a little floppy, I just never noticed. So, I'm considering her back to normal. I think the the second best thing I did was the trick, besides the pedialite, etc...as you read in the thread, was to sequester her for the day in a huge dog carrier in the coop. In the evening, ( just the two of us in the coop), I let her out, and as you read, after a little water she spent the night roosting with everyone else. By the way....Food & water in the crate with her was a mistake, because she just kept knocking them over. I spent the day bringing her the electro-lighted water & melons & some feed. She never refused, so I was hoping that was a good sign, which it was. (Like with ANY pet).

I'm glad you found me too! Being a chicken owner for the first time and only for about 2 months now, I think I've got the hang of it. I know how helpless you feel!

Please come back to this thread and let us all know how she is doing. If it wasn't for these fine folks, who knows what the outcome would have been. Maybe someday, I will be able to answer questions like these experts. (That's right, experts!)

The best of luck to you. I sure hope all these suggestions get your girl well and back to her old self!

 

[jusahippiechick]

My hen didn't make it through the night. It was very quick. I do have another that has a pale, dry comb. I have since read that this can be a sign that they are not laying. I KNOW she is not laying because she won't stop setting. I've taken her out of the coop for several days at a time. She stops for a day or two and goes right back to the next. She's lost all her breast feathers. Don't know what to do to help her.

 

[appps]

How long has she been on the nest if you take those odd days you took her off out of it?

They are designed to cut back food and water while hatching for 3 or 4 weeks. If it goes on and on eventually they are going to get both dehydrated and waste away from lack of proper eating.

Do you think she has been broody longer than a month all up?

If yes you have to get tough and break her from it. I have a silkie and they are notoriously hard to break but even she quits after three full days with no access to the nesting box. I have to keep her right out of the house or she will spend all day just sitting next to the box lol but three full days and she is over it. Lots of ways to keep them away but I just let her free range in my backyard till the others are done laying then shut the coop and let her back in the run. When I open the coop for bedtime I lock the nestbox so she can't sleep in it.

They will sit till something hatched or they get sick if they are determined enough though so if this has been going on a while and she is loosing condition you are gonna have to get tough with her. And once she stops watch her like a hawke and lock her out again at the first sign of setting again. She needs to spend time getting condition back.