Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Hi I just joined this site I used to be on poultry swap but I guess that sites been now for some time. Any how my 2 year hen has stopped laying eggs for awhile now. She had also went through a spell of discharging yolks with no shells which from what I read happens to older birds. But now shes been very lethargic in mornings just lying on the outside run ground and sleeping. She looks exhausted and her comb went from a bright high red standing comb to a small pale comb and when you pick her up shes very light. Its kinda of weird but I think she is on her way out. Any suggestions. I also have another hen the same age whos lost her tail feathers and hasn't laid for sometime but is a lot more alert. I will take a pic of them tonight and post it to here tomorrow


Thanks Rick

A pale comb is usually anemia-could be heart, liver or internal laying issues....if it's purple its heart failure. In my experience it's normal to have a pale comb in an actively laying bird, but even that "pale" is not light pink. Since she's light it suggests to me that she has some kind of liver dysfunction going on-especially if her breast bone is prominent. if she isn't suffering or breathing hard, or rattling when she's breathing (if she is you have a sick chicken with a respiratory virus or infection)....unfortunately if she is laying internally or is in liver issues she probably will not recover. the other thing to check for is external parasites-mites and lice can cause anemia and literally suck the life out of a bird. to check part the feathers around the vent and look for dark brownish red specks running around....if she has a bad case of mites some dusting powder will take care of the mites (dust, and then again in 3 days and again 3 days after that).

The one with lost tail feathers may be moulting....but i would also check to make sure there's no mites/lice, in case she's been pulling them trying to scratch....

i would certainly check for the mites/lice first, and breathing....and if those are both not there then start to investigate liver failure/heart/crop impaction....the host of other things that could be wrong. The fact that she was laying shelless eggs makes me think possibly internal laying. nothing you can do there. BTW a 2 year old hen isn't old. lots of people have 4, 5, 6 year old hens that are still laying. hatchery birds tend to quit about 3 or so....but i don't consider 2 an old hen. They do go through moults that take a while after their first year, but usually they stay active even when moulting and not laying (protein goes to making feathers instead of eggs during a moult).

Yes, please, pics and let us know if she's rattling or wheezing or anything else that seems out of the ordinary. oh, and a photo of her standing up if you can get it. internal laying etc have specific postures that are pretty recognizable when they stand.

glad you made it over to PTO!

Okay thanks I will do that

Get some sticky tape and put it around your finger to check for mites etc. Just pat it on the usual areas like vent and they stick to it.

Here is my hen that's not doing to well. She ing liquid and just looks tired

the second picture is the other hen who keeps losing feathers as you can see she doesn't have much left in the line of tail feathers

The watery diarrhoea is because she isn't eating. Can you get something yummy into her like yoghourt?

Yogurt...
Hard boiled egg...wet cat food....
Shes not egg bound but her comb colour does look anemic. I would get some electrolytes or superbooster into their water and up their protein some-dry cat food or put back on chick starter or grow finisher with extra oystershell for calcium. Maybe some black oil sunflower seeds...and try to entice her to eat. In this heat the combs should be bright red-thats where they evaporate body heat...if its her heart theres not much to do. She looks like a production red-hatchery stock? Hopefully she will pick up....but dont be upset if she doesnt. Burds are like ppl-they get all kinds of things and have different health issues and lifespans. The missing tail looks like moulting so increased protein will help that.

Molt is starting, so loosing feathers may not be a problem.

Yes they hybrid layers but my first chickens so you know the way it goes. I will try some yogurt tonight.