Pale comb, no interest in food, and diarrhea. Please help.

[Kiki]

What did you worm them with back in September?

 

[Ederle]

Do you live in a wet location? Swamp nearby? Do you know what buffalo gnats are?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/gnats-killing-birds.1305726/
Just FYI

No swamps or anything, I actually live in a very dry location...
I have seen tiny gnats around, but not bothering the chickens. I was looking at photos of the effects of buffalo gnats, I don't see any bites on my hens' combs or wattles or anything that resembles these gnats.

 

[Ederle]

What did you worm them with back in September?

Valbazen, each dosed individually, then followed up again after ten days. Before Esmeralda died I dosed her with Valbazen and then Wazine, thinking that the problem was worms, and those doses made no difference at all. Do you think I should worm Vivi too?

Looking back, I think it's possible that Esmeralda had internal laying, because her abdomen felt spongy when I pressed down on it, but her symptoms didn't match up completely.

 

[Kiki]

Valbazen, each dosed individually, then followed up again after ten days. Before Esmeralda died I dosed her with Valbazen and then Wazine, thinking that the problem was worms, and those doses made no difference at all. Do you think I should worm Vivi too?

Looking back, I think it's possible that Esmeralda had internal laying, because her abdomen felt spongy when I pressed down on it, but her symptoms didn't match up completely.

How does Vivi's belly area feel right now?
Full and hard
Or squishy like?

 

[Ederle]

The area under her wings feels completely normal. I did notice when I felt her abdomen, closer to her vent, that it feels a bit firmer than normal. I felt another hen's abdomen, and hers felt a little bit softer than Vivienne's. I don't know if it varies from hen to hen, though.

 

[azygous]

Spring is a ripe time for coccidia blooms. These are parasites in the soil that are always present, but not enough to cause problems until they grow. Chickens free ranging can pick them up and then they begin growing in their intestines. They aren't worms so worming doesn't get rid of them.

They go through their life cycles inside the chicken, and in the process, they can inflame the intestinal walls and then bacteria quickly comes along and begins to cause a raging infection.

So, the treatment is Corid, found at any feed store. It's not an antibiotic so it won't cure any bacteria that is also at work in the intestines. You would need a sulfa drug to treat it.

Corid is a coccidiostat, blocking thiamine so the coccidia is deprived of nourishment and can't complete their life cycle. I would treat first with two teaspoons of liquid Corid in a gallon of water (no other drinking water during treatment) for five days, then wait seven days, and treat for five more days.

Treat the entire flock. If the sick chickens don't show improvement by the end of the second day, you should start them on a sulfa drug in addition to the Corid. https://www.revivalanimal.com/product/fish-sulfa-forte?sku=22156-475

 

[Kiki]

The area under her wings feels completely normal. I did notice when I felt her abdomen, closer to her vent, that it feels a bit firmer than normal. I felt another hen's abdomen, and hers felt a little bit softer than Vivienne's. I don't know if it varies from hen to hen, though.

When was the last time she laid an egg?

 

[azygous]

I would recommend you gather a stool sample from your sickest chicken and take it to your vet and ask for a fecal float test for worms and coccidia. This way you will know for sure this is te source of the problem.

 

[Ederle]

When was the last time she laid an egg?

I wish I knew. Most of the hens, including her, have always laid eggs really early in the morning, before I come outside to let them out. I don't know if she has laid eggs lately, but she might be doing her laying early enough that I don't see her doing it. She and three other hens lay blue eggs, so I can't tell which is hers amongst them. The last time I actually saw her lay an egg that I can remember was around early February.

 

[Kiki]

I wish I knew. Most of the hens, including her, have always laid eggs really early in the morning, before I come outside to let them out. I don't know if she has laid eggs lately, but she might be doing her laying early enough that I don't see her doing it. She and three other hens lay blue eggs, so I can't tell which is hers amongst them. The last time I actually saw her lay an egg that I can remember was around early February.

How many blue eggs have you been getting each day?