My girls are definitely well fed let’s just say that lol.
They are golden comets. It’s not cold. I don’t have males. I mixed it into the feed a little at a time as they all had weak egg shells, and they all needed it. They won’t eat the crushed oyster shell unless I throw it in with their feed... I never use heat lamps for that reason, and because birds are healthier and have fuller prettier feathers without it. No drafts, I have the option to shut windows and load it with straw... she died a couple of days ago... she was eating, moving around, drinking water and was getting back up to health. I could tell, I’ve watched her very closely and have taken notes of her... I put her to bed one night after feeding her by hand and making sure she drank lots of water. Went out the next morning and she was dead...are all your birds Golden Comets? Golden Comets are bred for egg-laying and their egg-laying days end pretty quickly. Due to them being such prolific layers, sometimes a layer feed isn't enough with how often they lay their eggs. Calcium shouldn't be mixed in with their food though and should be given on the side in a separate container. I'm not sure if you have any boys, but too much calcium for anything but a laying hen can cause problems down the line.
If it's been cold where you're at, her comb could be black due to frostbite as well. If it's getting pretty chilly, I've always heard some petroleum jelly on their comb can help keep frostbite at bay, but the best way to keep frostbite out is to make sure no breeze can get them while they roost. Some might use artificial heat, but I've been seeing a lot of coop fires and a friend of mine had his brooder area burn down. Poor babies.
Another cause for a black or blue comb can be heart issues, which generally comes from them being overweight. If the vet said that it was from bullying though, it's definitely just that! But it's something to look out for in the future, especially if you decide to expand your flock!
A lot of people get very offended when you give chickens treats. They have the mindset that they’re supposed to be shut up and protected and kept out of the weather and fed rationed pellets all day. They forget chickens have emotions and have their own desires as well. I feed my chickens healthy treats; fresh nuts, seeds, bugs, insects, and vegetable scraps. It’s helped them quite a bit, actually. Healthier feathers, healthier bigger eggs, happy chickensDon’t worry, if you’re vet is saying that she’s not eating enough then clearly the treats you give from time to time are not a big deal. I’m probably going to get a lot of people disagreeing with me, but I feed my girls treats every day. Probably a little too much.
(Pictures provided below.) One of my 7 laying hens has been extremely lethargic and listless for the past couple of days. I first noticed it when I let them out the other day to roam while supervised (I have a large caged in run I keep them in, adequate feed and water). After they all ran out, they played a little. I was working on planting collards. I noticed she, unlike the others who were energetic and very curious, was sitting beside a log almost like she was sleeping, head drooped down. Fast forward 2-3 days, I went to check on the chickens to let them out again. I noticed one was lying under the ramp that leads up into the coop, just chilling. I throw some black oil sunflower seed out, and they all eat it. She gets up very slowly and starts working her way over, begins pecking a few, and a few of the others begin bullying her, and biting at her kneel and her waddle. I can’t tolerate bullying, and the only thing nearby was a (weak) jet hose, So, (forgive me) I sprayed the ones bullying her to get them away as quickly as possible. I watched her for a bit while she was alone (the others were afraid of the hose I had in my hand) and she just stood there... I knew something was up. When I first noticed her acting strange, I suspected coccidiosis and treated them with Corid (I've treated coccidiosis before with my chickens). So I checked on them a few times a day, made sure everything was alright, And now we’re here today. She was standing in the run, basically falling asleep right where she stood, head drooped down. I decided to separate her (I wanted to observe her first), put her in a plastic tote, gave her food and water. I’ve checked on her frequently today and, she drank water out of a small cup a few times but hasn’t seemed to drink much if any of the water I gave her (I did show her the water and food), or eat much of the food. I checked on her, and I noticed something disturbing. A simple google search found something rather disturbing and worrying as well.... I’ll be active on this thread and will post pictures and answer questions, I just need help fast. On photos 1-4 you notice a darkened head, a dark waddle with ooze (not blood I checked), yellow poop, lethargy, she’s sleeping, had food and water. It could just be me panicking but the darkness has seemed to get worse... View attachment 2372341View attachment 2372342View attachment 2372343View attachment 2372344
Update: I noticed sticky ooze coming out of her mouth.. I can’t tell if it’s her mouth or nose... I noticed it when I showed her the water earlier..
-Update 2: I’ve given her a good amount of water... she’s drinking quite a bit... which is useful as I have probiotics, acidifiers, and electrolytes in it. Unfortunately some of the symptoms of blackhead are increased thirst, decreased appetite, lethargy, and, well, black head.. Not trying to pick a disease and base her symptoms off of the disease to look for problems per se, but that’s the closest thing I can find. I’ve given her water and she has stood up now and she seems slightly more energetic... prayers appreciated.View attachment 2372435
—Update 3: she ate a few bites of food from my hand. I’m giving her that cooked egg now. Fries (no oil),cut into fine pieces. Put some small seeds (black oil sunflower) in with her food, better something then nothing, the protein will do her good...
I agree!A lot of people get very offended when you give chickens treats. They have the mindset that they’re supposed to be shut up and protected and kept out of the weather and fed rationed pellets all day. They forget chickens have emotions and have their own desires as well. I feed my chickens healthy treats; fresh nuts, seeds, bugs, insects, and vegetable scraps. It’s helped them quite a bit, actually. Healthier feathers, healthier bigger eggs, happy chickens
This was a bit ago but if you still need help, on my area at least, you can find emergency care services from other farms and non-licensed vets
she sounded like a sweet chicken.
