Stopped laying a few months ago, now her face is white instead of red

[leasmom]

Does that mean she's old??? I have a Caumont-(French) hen that I didn't know how old she was. She laid a total of 4 eggs since I had her for the past four months. At first I thought it was because she was playing mom to some baby chicks but then when I put her back with the hens she still hasn't laid and I noticed that her face went from red to whitish. Is she an old hen???

I know most people don't have French birds, but what does your hens do when they're too old???

 

[SpottedCrow]

Obelisk, my 5 year old Leghorn hen lays from March until July, then she moults and doesn't start to lay again until next March...
Her face when she's laying is bright red, but when she's not laying it's more pink...but not white.
A picture might help...
Also, have you wormed your birds?

 

[leasmom]

no, never wormed them. I've only had chickens since march. But, I do give them apple cider vinegar in their water.

 

[dancingbear]

Most hens lose color when in lay, and faces/combs get redder when not laying, so SpottedCrow's bird is an oddity. She may have worms and/or external parasites. Or, she may be moulting. Has she lost a lot of feathers? Is she listless, or droopy? Eating well? Active and alert?

The white face concerns me, it sounds like she could be severely anemic. I'd worm her and treat for lice/mites muy pronto.

She may also need more protein than she's getting. A higher protein feed may be needed. I'd also advise the poultry vitamin/electrolyte powder to be added to the water. I always use 1 tsp. per gallon, and change solution daily.

 

[seminolewind]

Quote:
I agree. I actually found wormy poop last week, yuk

 

[leasmom]

She is active but a little less than before but not droopy or anything. They eat a pretty high protein feed along with scratch feed mixed in. And then I give them cabbage leaves, lettuce, peas, etc. whatever I have on hand and apple cider vinegar in their water. She hasn't lost very many feathers. She acts almost the same but just slower. Its been a good two months or so that she hasn't laid and I don't know how old she is since I got her from someone else.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I have a lovely white hen..probably a cochin cross...that was given to us and we don't know her age. She has gotten a bit slower too and her color isn't as bright as the others...not white though. She laid 2 soft shell eggs for us right after we got her and hasn't laid anything since then. We believe she is probably 4-5 years old...she'll just stay with us until she goes to chicken heaven. She has 2 bantam cochin roos that attend to her every need...never try to breed her...so she's a happy camper.

I would try worming her and see if that doesn't help. Lice can also cause anemia as dancingbear mentioned.

 

[Chick-N-Antics]

So sorry to jump in. I've been trying to absorb as much info as I can. How does one worm a chicken? Is it something you buy? Or something natural you just add to their diet? Is that what the apple cider vinegar does?

I have two Silver Leghorns that have runny stool but I've never seen anything in it and they seem perfectly fine. They eat what my other girls eat. Is this a sign of worms maybe??

 

[leasmom]

I went out today and saw that her face is red again. I put out some crumbled up carrots and I already give them pumpkin seeds in their feed-(I mix feed, scratch and bird seeds together)-and give them lots of greens. So maybe it was just something she had a few days, I don't know...she's still slower...not like she used to be.

I prefer the natural route so I looked up about deworming and it said apple cider vinegar, crushed pumpkin seeds and minced up carrots would all deworm chickens. Unfortunately I've seen only two chickens actually eat the carrots, but I figure they will after awhile, I hope.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

Quote:
It is a medication that you give them. You can buy it at most farm and feed stores. I don't think you are supposed to eat the eggs while they are being wormed, but I'm not certain.