Pale & shrunken comb/wattles + more

[Fieldsfive]

Hello All. I need advice on whether to take my hen to the vet or not. She is a 9 month old Speckled Sussex who hasn't laid eggs (maybe a couple 2 months ago, but none for a long while) and has had strange behaviors on & off.
About 6 weeks ago, she went very still for a day but quickly regained her old self. She may have laid an egg or three before that instance but has not since. Then she began having splatty poops regularly, for weeks. I treated all 4 hens for coccidiosis at that point but her poop remained watery overall. About 2 weeks passed while she seemed otherwise fine until she went very still again. I thought it could be a crop issue so I massaged it regularly and she improved. At that point I also tried a natural deworming regimen with onion, grated carrots, garlic & a bit of molasses. The 3 who seem fine ate it heartily when I mixed in some dried BSFLs. Lorraine, the sick one, didn't. So then I added garlic to the water. That seems to have slowly helped her poop become more solid. She poops small amounts, covered in urates, and has acted normal again for about a week. When I feel for her crop there is somwtimes a hard bump, smaller than a golf ball-- is that her crop? The newest question is-now her comb and waddles look a bit shrunken and paler. So many instances of her being "off" while the other 3 are robustly healthy and laying. They have lived together since we got them as chicks, and I feel paranoid about missing signs of illness but don't want to take her to a vet for no good reason.
So, starting with her pale/shrunken comb & waddles- is this normal for this time of year in the PNW? Temps are cooling and there is more rain/less sun. Yes or no? If not, should I take her to the vet?
Pictures attached show: Lorraine today from 2 views, her poop, and her from 2 months ago being held. I think her comb/wattles are less vibrant than the photo implies and definitely smaller than before.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Normally, when chickens go out of production, their combs and wattles will pale and shrink. That also normally happens when day length shortens which happens rapidly at this time of year. There is probably something else going on but I would opt for a probiotic to get the digestive tract back on the right track. I like using Gro2Max powder.
It is extremely unlikely 9 month old chickens living on your property for any length of time would have succumbed to coccidiosis. They would have become resistant to the species on your property long before. When days begin to lengthen after winter solstice, the comb and wattles will grow red again and laying will resume.
It would probably be better to switch to a grower or all flock feed till spring and provide oyster shell in a separate container for those still laying.
Most birds 9 months old now would normally lay right through their first winter but occasionally, they will molt and take a winter break. Just like they will annually after this.

 

[Fieldsfive]

Normally, when chickens go out of production, their combs and wattles will pale and shrink. That also normally happens when day length shortens which happens rapidly at this time of year. There is probably something else going on but I would opt for a probiotic to get the digestive tract back on the right track. I like using Gro2Max powder.
It is extremely unlikely 9 month old chickens living on your property for any length of time would have succumbed to coccidiosis. They would have become resistant to the species on your property long before. When days begin to lengthen after winter solstice, the comb and wattles will grow red again and laying will resume.
It would probably be better to switch to a grower or all flock feed till spring and provide oyster shell in a separate container for those still laying.
Most birds 9 months old now would normally lay right through their first winter but occasionally, they will molt and take a winter break. Just like they will annually after this.

A belated THANK YOU! for the info above! I read it, zeroed in on electrolytes and immediately went to add some to their water. Either Lorraine was already on the mend, or those electrolytes worked magic. She seems healthy & energetic now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A belated THANK YOU! for the info above! I read it, zeroed in on electrolytes and immediately went to add some to their water. Either Lorraine was already on the mend, or those electrolytes worked magic. She seems healthy & energetic now.

I'm glad she is on the mend.
I wrote probiotics, not electrolytes. Completely different things.

Electrolytes provide minerals that are possibly low in the bloodstream, often when it is very hot or when one becomes otherwise dehydrated. They are things like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. They regulate muscle and nerve function as well as body pH.

Probiotics restore a healthy gut biome which control almost everything in the body but especially proper digestion. I zeroed in on her feces which indicated a serious gut issue.

 

[Fieldsfive]

I'm glad she is on the mend.
I wrote probiotics, not electrolytes. Completely different things.

Electrolytes provide minerals that are possibly low in the bloodstream, often when it is very hot or when one becomes otherwise dehydrated. They are things like sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. They regulate muscle and nerve function as well as body pH.

Probiotics restore a healthy gut biome which control almost everything in the body but especially proper digestion. I zeroed in on her feces which indicated a serious gut issue.

Ooops! That's what happens when I go too fast- yes, probiotics is what you suggested. Thank you for clarifying.