What do I do now?

[PatchyPauline]

Even from constantly reading the forum info I need some advice as to whether I have a real problem or not!
I have two girls (hybrid light sussex cross) who are in their third year and have never been a minute's problem up to recently. They are in a fairly large covered run and have always been healthy. A couple of month's ago one of them became listless and disinterested in everything including eating but feeling that her crop was a bit squidgy I turned her upside down and after the release of quite a lot of 'muddy' type liquid she seemed to perk up again. Her comb had become purply and floppy. She now seems sort of ok but is hunched up in her fluffed out feathers a lot and although she will peck at the grass and eat some treats she is not right. Her comb is pinkish but is still flopped over. The other one is more active and seems fine but she has a very messy bum!
I have just wormed them and have cut right down on treats - I have checked the feathers and there doesn't seem any sign of lice. No mites as the coop is plastic and no sign of a problem with eyes or noses!
They have not moulted but just seem to leave a lot of feathers about without getting any bald patches. Oh and I haven't had any eggs for a while from either of them.
Sorry about the long post but I thought I would try to cover all my symptoms in one hit. Please experts - what do I do? Many thanks.

[petal]

purple crop indicates heart problems, at 3 years, some hybrids become elderly. Hence the no eggs. They might be moulting- they don't always go bald with this. What have you wormed them with- Flubenvet or those nonsense herbal wormer pellets?

[PatchyPauline]

I have just this last week used Flubenvet for 7 days but have to admit I have used the herbal one in the past as I didn't know they were nonsense! Does Flubenvet take a while to work?

Many thanks for your reply

[kathyd]

Have they eaten anything unusual? Mine have been getting messy bums after discovering the joys of cabbages in the polytunnel...

Is their grass very long? I read somewhere that chickens which have access to very long grass can get a squidgy crop (can't remember the name sorry, so I'm using your technical description ).

I used the herbal pellets too until I got told they're not really wormers, they just help to change the gut so worms don't like it in there, so it's a bit random as to whether it works or not. I now use Flubenvet, which 'touch wood' seems to work quite quickly. I'm sure one of the professional keepers will have something more useful to add when they read your post... certainly hunching and fluffing doesn't sound like a happy chicken

[petal]

Hopefully you will see an improvement now that you have used the flubenvet, its great stuff. Have you tried 'respite', I have heard very positive things about it. I just feel they might have sour crop- did the liquid smell at all? How does the crop feel? Have they been gorging on spring grass on your lawn? could they access grass clippings in the compost(like our muscovies did yesterday and sent me into a panic!- )
It might be worth a trip to the vets- ?

[RichmondHens]

Worming will help. Also try adding garlic to the drinking water - I crush two fat cloves into a bucket full of water (approx 10 litres) - which has natural antibiotic properties and also helps to flush parasites out. Other dietary pick me ups can include poultry spice added to the pellets and vitamins added to the drinking water (Nutri drops, Lifeguard Tonic, that sort of thing). But if the poorly one in particular shows no improvement in a few days then you need to seek veterinary advice.

[PatchyPauline]

Thank you so much for your responses - I'll give some a try!