Very pale comb, loose stool -- possibilities??

[Missuswayne]

Hi. I have four 1+ year old hens, and four 3 month olds (they are kept separately and have not intermingled yet). The big girls have a 4x8 coop and 8 x 16 covered, shaded run. They free-range for about an hour a day.

One of my older girls, Hazel, has been unwell. I'll give as much info as I can here! Maybe one of you has some ideas...

Symptoms: watery/loose stool, very pale comb, inconsistent egg-laying (shells are hard).

All four older girls had messy butts so I had a fecal done a few weeks ago. Came back as positive for capillaria, and they have had both doses of Safeguard. Hazel continues to have loose stool.

We did go through a bad heat wave last week (around 100º and humid for several days) but it's been cooler for the last few days.

All have been checked for mites/lice and while I didn't find anything definite, I did apply permethrin to each bird, cleaned out the coop, and sprayed it down as well. She did appear to have the beginnings of scaly leg mites so I'm applying vaseline routinely.

All have plenty of layer feed and clean water. Hazel's appetite seems good and she's drinking well. I gave her a scrambled egg the other day and she ate all of it. I've given her vitamins by mouth and I don't see any change. She's not puffed up or isolating herself as of yet. She walking normally, and able to get up and down off the roost bars.

Hazel is clearly stressed. Her comb is consistently pale -- but it does color up from time to time every day. Always goes back to pale, though. Her skin is pale (but it's not inflamed or raw anywhere). Abdomen feels firm but would that be an egg? She hasn't laid one yet today, I would expect it in the early afternoon. I've examined her each day for the past three days and she's really been hating it!

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[Birdie mom]

I looked it up and it could be from the capillaria, but idk.

I will boost your thread and see if someone else will be able to help.

 

[Missuswayne]

I looked it up and it could be from the capillaria, but idk.

I will boost your thread and see if someone else will be able to help.

Thank you!
Yeah, I was wondering if she's just slow to bounce back from the worms and the heat last week -- I really hope that's all it is. I probably caught the worms late -- up until last week I was taking summer classes that didn't leave me much free time. My husband is such a good help with the birds but he doesn't have the knowledge yet to know when something is wrong.

 

[cherrynberry]

@Wyorp Rock

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Symptoms: watery/loose stool, very pale comb, inconsistent egg-laying (shells are hard).

All four older girls had messy butts so I had a fecal done a few weeks ago. Came back as positive for capillaria, and they have had both doses of Safeguard. Hazel continues to have loose stool.

If your fecal float came back positive for Capillary worms, then you would want give the Safeguard for 5 days in a row instead of once and repeat.

Re-treat at a dose of 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.
Treat your whole flock.


The once, then repeat dosing is for Roundworms only.

 

[Missuswayne]

If your fecal float came back positive for Capillary worms, then you would want give the Safeguard for 5 days in a row instead of once and repeat.

Re-treat at a dose of 0.23ml per pound of weight given orally once a day for 5 days in a row.
Treat your whole flock.


The once, then repeat dosing is for Roundworms only.

Oh, interesting! I did one day, 1/2 mL per bird, and a repeat after 10 days on the advice of my vet, BUT she's not a poultry vet (she's my cats' vet, and I just take my chicken fecals to her office) and I could swear that she was referring to them as roundworms (though the tech I spoke to on the phone told me the report said capillaria...)

Capillaria is threadworms, yes?
So is that 5 days and done, or is there a repeat?
Thanks for this information!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh, interesting! I did one day, 1/2 mL per bird, and a repeat after 10 days on the advice of my vet, BUT she's not a poultry vet (she's my cats' vet, and I just take my chicken fecals to her office) and I could swear that she was referring to them as roundworms (though the tech I spoke to on the phone told me the report said capillaria...)

Capillaria is threadworms, yes?
So is that 5 days and done, or is there a repeat?
Thanks for this information!

Capillaria belong in the group of threadworms/hairworms. They can cause a lot of harm to the crop/esophagus, can also be damaging to the intestines, so you want to get rid of them.

I would treat for the 5 days, this way you have it covered. There's no repeat when giving for 5 days in a row.

 

[Missuswayne]

Thank you so much for your guidance Wyorp. Gave them the first dose yesterday on your advice, will continue through Friday. Fingers crossed!