Bloody comb when laying?

[yodelinginca]

Background: flock of 5 hens, all different breeds. Going into their 3rd laying season. California.

Last year our Brown Leghorn had a bloody comb after laying her first egg of the season. Went out this morning and her comb and face are bloody, and there's one of her eggs in the box (she's our only white egger, so we're sure). Is this a thing? It sounds silly, but did she just push too hard and burst a blood vessel in her comb? Only one of the others is laying right now, and we have 2 egg boxes, so it's not like they're fighting for space.

 

[Chookchicken]

Photos would help. It is very hard to say what it is if there isn’t and kind photo. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[Aapomp831]

More than likely, the two are unrelated. She may have gotten pecked in a scuffle over the nesting box or hurt it on some wire fencing.

 

[Lollychicken]

More than likely, the two are unrelated. She may have gotten pecked in a scuffle over the nesting box or hurt it on some wire fencing.

Definitely more likely, never heard of pushing so hard the comb bleeds

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also some birds like to pick at flockmates who are sitting in nests (whether just to harass them or to say "Hey I want that box!") so it could've happened that way.

 

[AprilsZoo]

eta:
Oops, I just noticed the date on the OP.
Oh well, since I already typed the whole comment, I’m leaving it.
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Yes, having two nest boxes doesn’t guarantee there won’t be any competition for a box. Sometimes a hen will get very attached to a particular box and refuse to use another.

There’s been pictures posted here of multiple hens all piled into a single nest box at the same time, sometimes just crowded in next to one another, and sometimes even sitting atop one another ... while right next to them are unoccupied boxes just waiting for someone to lay.

So if your bloody gal was taking too long, or if she decided to harass another hen in “her” box, she might have gotten a bite taken out of her, so to speak.

I cannot imagine a chicken pushing hard enough to cause actual bleeding out of her comb. Even if she could somehow burst a capillary, it would show as a small bruise or blood-blister type spot... no way would it split the skin to allow blood to actually flow.