Small pale comb ....

[Chicken drumstick]

Hi all

When i got my ex bats September 2013 they all had pale shrunk combs but slowly they all came back red and larger .....bar one .

All Hens have been wormed 2 months ago and all look fine and eating well , but the one with the pale comb is always first to bed and last out in the morning and isn't as lively as the others , although i might be imagineing this due to her pale comb

Going to worm them again when i pick up the 2 ex bats on Saturday .

Ant ideas ?


Pics about 4 months old , its the hen on the left , the other 2 now have bright red combs



Close up , again an older picture ...

[Mad Chick]

Do you know if she's still laying?
Their combs will shrink back and turn pale when they stop laying, either because of a moult or old age etc.

[Chicken drumstick]

Hi

Thanks for the reply

I don't really know if she is laying , but i suspect not .

I,ve seen most of my others waiting to lay or seen them leaving the hen house then found a warm egg .

Never seen this with this Hen .

Maybe she is just egged out as a ex commercial hen then ?

[Freeranger]

I think that's quite possible. One of ours has a much smaller comb that the others, although a good colour, but she's fine and happy.

[Skeksis]

She does look a bit pale even for a non layer imo. Could it be mites?? Could be aneimic? Try some poultry spice and a little bit ;handful) of leafy greens perhaps. I would lean towards mites as some can be more affected than others. A squirt or two of Johnsons anti mite plus would be my bet, a squirt on the bare bit of skin under each wing x

[Chicken drumstick]

Thanks ...

Will get some poultry spice .

I,ve got some mite dust so will do all the Hens to be on the safe side .

I,ve been feeding plenty of greens for months especially spinach leaves and brocolli so will continue to do so .

She does look "pale" ...i know what you mean , she hasnt got the sparkle the other hens have for some reason but isnt ill if you know what i mean .

[Chookaholic]

this is exactly how my dandelion was.
, never laid and her comb never grew. like a little Peter Pan.

But she ate all her food and was a happy healthy chook , no mites or worms etc. as yours are ex batts I would think the poor little thing is just tired and fancies a rest .....they do need extra care dont they...

ahh the simple chicken , turns us "superior" humans into emotional worrying wrecks in the blink of an eye

[Chicken drumstick]

She does seem off her food today ,eating but not much .

Just give her a dusting with mite powder , i got covered it as she went ape and flapped her wings as soon as i released her .

Going to worm them all again starting from saturday when i get the 2 new ones and dust mite all of them .

I cant see any signs of mites to be honest but will see how it goes .

Like you say maybe she is just having a good rest and i am reading to much into it

[Chicken drumstick]

She was doing well lately eating / drinking and scratching around but was always last out in a morning and first to bed .

She has been in the coop all day just sleeping and is very lethargic and lay on here side , pretty sure she will pass away in the night .

At least she had 5 months of freedom

[Chookaholic]

Oh Drummy i hope not .....

If she is still with you in the morning try her with some sugar water: My lot go mad for baby spinach leaves from asda £1 a bag maybe this will give her a boost the vitamins seem to kick em up the bum

Let us know how she is love : hugs

[Chicken drumstick]

Hi Lisa

Sadly she died in the night

She never seemed right from the day i got her , always a loaner and not as active as the others but never showed any real signs of illness and ate and drank with the others , i put it down to it being just her personality maybe she was ill from the start

I feed spinach as well , its a great treat for them isnt it and a good price

[jackian]

I am sorry that you lost her but sometimes what ever you do it would never be enough .
My little Rosie was just the same but not an ex batt. Your girl looked just like her .
She was always on the outside looking in and always looked like a bag of bones with a pale comb even though she ate and drank. Also her eggs were either soft or very brittle and thin shelled .
She was found on her side in the coup about a month ago . Out of all the chickens I have had she was always my favourite because she was like the under chick and needed extra TLC but it was never enough .

Jackie x

[Chicken drumstick]

Thanks Jackie

[sandy]

Aw Drummy just seen this post, so sorry you lost her but you are so right she had a lovely and deserved taste of freedom

[Chicken drumstick]

thanks sandy