Very thin anemic black orpington, undigested grain in her poo.

[NZChookies]

Hi fellow chook lovers
I have a backyard flock of 11 chickens of mixed breeds. My black orpington (approx 18 mths old) has been steadily losing weight. I wormed her about 6 weeks ago, but no improvement. I noticed that she has undigested grains in her poo. She's got runny poo stained feathers around her bum/vent. She's not laying. Her comb has changed colour from red to purple - so I think she's anemic. She seems listless and depressed at times, although she was happily scratching about today. I noticed she's growing new feathers (it's autumn and most of the flock are moulting at the moment) She still has a great appetite and is drinking well. None of my other chooks are exhibiting this condition.
Please let me know if what's ailing her and what type of tonic I can give to help her recover.
Thanks so much in advance!

 

[onafixedincome]

Check her crop for adequate grit, or perhaps she can't grind for some reason? I'm still pretty new at this, but a purple change to her color might indicTE A LACK OF OXGEN RATHER THAN ANEMIA. Crud/ typing left hNDED SORRY! :lol

Anyway, those would be my suspicions....got a bird vet around ??

 

[NZChookies]

Thanks for your reply. I might try isolating her and worming her again, because she does have a big appetite, eats a lot, but still loses weight
Cheers K

 

[fiberart57]

Does she have access to grit of a variety of sizes? Chickens pick and choose what size rocks they want in their crops. I give mine grit from the feed store in a can in their house even though they run around the yard. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

What are you feeding her? If she's getting a good quality chicken food, often these are processed enough that grit isn't as necessary as if you are feeding whole grains. What kind of grains are in her poo?

You might try giving some plain yogurt to them. I give mine non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt and mix it up in Cheerios so they can eat it. This helps give them good probiotics. You also might mix a little apple cider vinegar in their water; about one tablespoon (or capful) per gallon. It helps keep the acidity of the crop regulated.

If she has a good appetite and seems to be running around, she's not too bad off. But I agree that there's reason for concern.

Mary