Blue color in Wyandotte's comb?

[jhitson]

I have only had this Wyandotte for a few weeks. I just noticed that she has quite a bit of blue in her comb and around her ears.
Is this a sign of disease? She and some of my other hens have had some respiratory symptoms.
Mostly just dry sneezing. I wasn't sure if this is something to be concerned about.

 

[poultrycrazy]

Not a wyandotte they have rose combs

 

[jhitson]

I thought she looked different than any Wyandotte that I have had before. The gentleman I bought them from called her a Wyandotte.
I wonder what she is then? A mix perhaps? Any way the blue in the comb is the main concern. Any thoughts on it being a problem or a sign of one?

 

[jhitson]

here is another pic of her. Any thoughts on what she is? You can see the blue in her comb in this picture as well.

 

[tennesseeckn]

Blue combs sometimes mean circulatory problems. Does she have any other symptoms? Wheezing? Lethargic?

 

[CMV]

I think it may be her normal skin tone. Her earlobes and around her eyes are also blue tinged. She's a funny looking thing. Is she a mix of some sort, but a mix of what? What color is the rest of her skin (just out of curiosity)?

Hatchery Wyandottes can sometimes throw a single-combed bird out. I have one.

 

[jhitson]

She was sneezing for a couple days but I have not noticed it lately. She seems healthy and she is at the top of the pecking order.
She is interesting though. She is always very alert and her eyes are pretty intense.
I believe she is probably a mix of some sort. She has that greenish tint to her black feathers like a black sex link or Australorp has.
Could she be a RIR / Wyandotte mix? I really have no clue. I just hope she is healthy. I believe she has been laying a speckled brown egg.
Unfortunately I have only been getting around 2 of these speckled eggs a week. That would lead me to think that she is part Wyandotte since I know they can lay a speckled egg and they are not as much of a production bird like my Red Stars and Black Sex Links.

 

[CMV]

You ought to post her pic over in the What Breed Or Gender is This? section of the forum. They might have some ideas as to her lineage. She looks Wyandotte-ish, but there seems to be something else in the mix, too. She is very intense looking.

If she is not showing signs of being ill and no other birds in the flock are sick, then I would not worry too much about the dusky skin tone. Combs change colors often and often without any obvious reason. The few reasons you can address would be to check her for parasites and make sure the coop air quality is good. Heart and circulatory issues could be to blame, but there's not much you can do about them without the aid of a vet. Hormonal changes and temperature variations are also out of your control, but can lead to comb color changes.

I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[jhitson]

Quote:
Thank you for the info. it certainly helps.
As far as being sick there was something going around in the flock. It was a respiratory related bug of some sort. It could be Infectious Bronchitis or Coryza. I had two hens that had drainage and one that had started to have a smell to it. i separated those two and treated them with 0.5cc injections of Tylan 50 for about 4 days. There were a few other hens that started sneezing and acting a bit sick but there was no drainage and it did not seem to progress. I added about 3cc's of Tylan 50 ( injectable ) to a 1/2 Gallon of water for the six other birds for a couple days( not the best idea but it seemed to mix ok in the water ). They did not drink the medicated water that well so I only continued that for two days. However, the sneezing seems to have stopped. My concern with the blue comb is that I noticed it while trying to study them and figure out what this respiratory bug might be. I hope they are all back to being healthy and hopefully the comb is just her unique coloring.

 

[ILOVELEGHORNS]

Has she and/or the other flock members been just sitting looking miserable and lethargic and puffed up? Swollen faces? Are there any more other symptoms? Chickens like other animals hide their symptoms and well. The way it looks right now, is that it could be one of the many wide array of diseases affecting the resperatory system in poultry. Did the previous owner of your bird have any other species of poultry? His birds may have been carriers of something, as well as your hen. The hen became quite stressed out going from one environment to another, immune system became shot and came down with what it was carrying, while infecting your other birds. Im betting that is what happened. new birds are always sapposed to be quarantined for a set period of time prior to introduction to your already established flock.