Very skinny chicken with droopy comb and poopy butt

[family g]

Greetings all,

We have a 2-year-old mixed breed hen who has suddenly (within the past 3 weeks or so) started looking sick. First, we noticed her back end was covered in dried poop. After doing some research, I assumed it was fine, since a lot of other chickens get poopy butts this time of year with no negative effects. Still, we were concerned about the possibility of flies laying eggs on her and cleaned her up, finishing with a natural anti-parasite spray for poultry. About a week after that, her comb started drooping, and now it has completely drooped over to one side and looks thin. The comb itself as well as her wattles are dull red with slightly darker edges. She also seems to be balding around her face and the skin there looks pale. We wormed the entire flock Saturday but she has not improved.

Today we washed her again thoroughly and noticed how skinny and weak she has gotten- her belly seems to be all keel bone and she barely struggled while we washed her. After we blow-dried her and set her down she had a very watery poop. Since we have 5 other chickens (not counting a mama with 3 new chicks who are separated from the main flock), it's hard to tell what her droppings normally look like, although I think it's safe to assume they are runny. She eats and drinks well and forages with the others, but she has started dragging her feet.

Tomorrow we will start feeding her a probiotic mash of yogurt and buttermilk with her layer feed, and I was considering getting something for coccidiosis, although there is no blood in her stool. She's a very sweet girl and we are stumped as to how to help her. Any advice would be very greatly appreciated!!!

 

[seminolewind]

It's hard to say what it is. I have one that looks awful right now, and it's the heat, I end up every year having to watch her and dunk her in water.

You might want to try an antibiotic. Like penicillin injectable if possible.
It may be her heart.

It's just really hard to know. If she's skinny , she's wasting.

I've not had anyone with coccidiosis more than 5 months old.

 

[family g]

It's certainly very strange- she does show all the signs of being overheated but it hasn't been warm by us at all... in fact, it's been positively chilly some nights! Just makes this all the more frustrating and confusing.

And goodness, I hope it's not her heart!

Not thinking it's coccidiosis anymore either. Today she looked more hunched up but did seem very interested in the probiotic mash we gave her and got a bit down. Also, for what it's worth, last spring we hatched 3 of her eggs and 2 of the resulting chicks had bizarre neurological problems from the beginning: they would seize and then run around like crazy before falling over stiff and looking dead. Then they would get up after a little while and be normal. However, they didn't grow and eventually died. Not sure if that might shed any light on what's wrong with our hen, but maybe there might be some congenital defect?

Thanks for all your help.