3 1/2 year old sapphire gem.... heart? Heat?

rbc-bow-chicka

Songster
10 Years
Jan 4, 2014
155
103
211
I have a 3.5 yo sapphire gem which i discovered lying in the doorway of a coop a few mornings ago. I was stepping over her to conduct morning chores. I knew I had to bring her up to the house and no one was bothering her, so I left her while I wrapped up.

During the time she was on the ground, her head would kind of tip like she was dosing off, then she would straighten up. I brought her up to a cage and she immediately went over onto her side. It really didn't look like she was long for the world.

I brought her red cell h20 and she began drinking independently, which was shocking. Before I knew it, she was standing. So I took her pellets... and she went nuts for them.

I can't piece together what transpired, but I figured the intense heat had caught up with her.

After a couple of days, I took her back down and she immediately plopped down and didn't move. The other chickens were curious/pecking about her, so I knew I couldn't leave her there. So I scooped her up to go back to the house.

At that time, I noticed that the back of her comb (which is naturally floppy) was turning blue. I hadn't seen this before. When I put her back in her cage, she looked bad all over again. Next morning, the blue was gone and she was acting as she has been while uo here... which is pretty well .

I am presuming she has heart problems. What perplexes me is the coming and going of the blue tinge to that part of her comb. Does that happen?

I am prepared to try to take her back down to the coop again soon
.. she is eating, drinking, pooping, talkative while on the porch.... which is the same temp as the coops, but she does have a ceiling fan.

Any ideas?

Ps... she is in the same coop as the Isa with the swollen foot. See other post.
 
Any lice or mites?
Photos of her and poop?

When was her last egg? If she should have laid an egg, then I'd start giving her Calcium Citrate.
You can find Calcium Citrate with D3 in the vitamin aisle of stores like Walmart, CVS, etc. Give 1 tablet daily, just pull down on her wattles, pop the tablet into the beak and let her swallow.

The comb turning blue from time to time can be from heart issues, organ dysfunction and/or sometimes reproductive disorders. Do you feel float or feeling of fluid in the abdomen below the vent between her legs? Is her crop emptying?
 
I am so sorry. I have been remiss in checking back.

I have not noticed lice or mites, but I also have NOT given her a stem to stern look over. I did notice that her legs look a little scaly, and that COULD drive her just to have a lie down wherever she was motivated to.... and if far from the water, that could have been the problem.

She has not been laying much.... I'd say maybe once a month. She is in with Isa Browns so her egg really stands out as it is much larger and lighter.

Come to think of it, she had been lying around.... rather sleepy looking at times in the mornings. I noticed this was prior to one of her eggs showing up.... and after that, she resumed normal chicken business as usual. At the time, I imagined she might have had something reproductive related going on.

Her crop is emptying. I do not feel anything that resembles water belly.

My plan is to examine her tomorrow morning when it is cooler 1st thing in the am... and then likely give her a bath and put some Vaseline on her legs for good measure.

I appreciate your attention and questions!!!
 

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