FLOPPY COMB SUDDENLY

by Jaden
(Sink)

I had a chicken die about a week ago. Her comb had flopped over and she had severe diarrhea. At first I thought it was from old age, but now one of my young chicken's comb is flipping over and she has severe diarrhea. Can you please help!!


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starstarstarstarstar 		WHAT THE COMB CAN INDICATE
by: Sharon

The comb of a chicken requires good blood flow for bright color and firmness - although some breeds have large combs that flop over due to the weight of them - so that's normal for some breeds.

Diarrhea can have many causes. The death of a chicken can have many causes, too. It's possible the two symptoms are related.

A comb that is normally upright will droop if a chicken has low blood pressure or is possibly dehydrated. Severe and prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration due to excessive fluids leaving the body. Low blood pressure could be caused by parasites, but a host of other problems, as well.

I would suspect internal or even external parasites, like worms, lice, mites, poultry fleas. Worms could possibly explain diarrhea and other health issues that could lead to death. When a chicken becomes infested with parasites, they can die.

I prefer using Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth, (DE), for parasite control, rather than chemical treatments. You may need both. DE is safe and healthy for chickens to consume. By the time you have a chicken die, it's possible that a parasite problem is severe. I can only guess, not being able to see your chickens, how and what you feed them & how they are kept. DE can help with diarrhea as well.

I would recommend vitamin/electrolyte supplements for all your chickens as you find out what is causing this. This will help give them strength & to retain fluids as well as minerals lost with long term or severe diarrhea.

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