Red ear lobes turning white

[TanyaDonegan]

I am experiencing this same issue on my Buff Orpington and a few of my Red Sex Links. It looks like a fungus of some sort. I have been researching to see if I could find out WHAT it is and a treatment but doesn't seem to be any real info on it. I use Young Living Essential Oils and am going to try using some on them. I'll let you know if it works. In the meantime I was wondering if you would share what Organic Layer feed you use? Thank you....

 

[Chicken lady5]

This hen is not the only one with white speckles on their ears. I also have a rooster with them. Are they mites? Should I be worried anyone know what it is?

 

[Katieswan]

This hen is not the only one with white speckles on their ears. I also have a rooster with them. Are they mites? Should I be worried anyone know what it is?

I have two birds with this going on as well. The one has had it since I got her but I think it just developed in the other one. Did you ever find any answers on this?

 

[kubotalady]

One of my hens has this [the white fungus looking stuff in the ear lobes shown in the pictures above] too. I am treating the whole flock, including her, for scaly leg mite. I wonder if it might be related? In any case I've smeared some vaseline on the ear lobes but nothing looks to have changed. Would be very interested if anyone has more information on what might be going on/how to address it!

 

[Amina]

It might be favus... check out this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/528908/whats-the-best-treatment-for-favus

 

[kubotalady]

Thank you! I googled a couple of pictures and that looks accurate. A little dejected to be treating something else, but good at least to have a sense of direction!

 

[jmahaffey]

I have several slightly more than one year-old Buff Orpington hens.  I noticed some weeks ago that a couple of them have earlobes that are turning from red to white.  I tried "cleaning" them but it wasn't a case of them being dirty or coated with dead skin cells. 


I don't see any evidence of bugs.  I keep the coop clean.  The girls free range 14 hours a day and have access to organic layer pellets.  They do sneak into the turkey pen and eat their non-organic, non-medicated feed, but I notice the earlobes changing before they had access to the turkeys.


Not all the hens have this problem, some of them have bright fire-engine red earlobes, wattles, and combs.


They have been laying regularly since they began, last October.  (We're getting 4 or 5 eggs a day from seven hens, even with temps hitting 100+ all week.


So far no sign of molting.


The two that went broody and raised chicks still have nice red lobes.


Any explanation?  Is this "bleaching" due to egg laying?

I'm so relieved to find this thread! Two of our hens ears have turned white in the past couple of days. I've been searching everywhere for an answer. Rockwater Farms mentioned below that it could be stress. I think that may be the cause, since we just moved the girls into a new coop and run a couple of days ago. I will keep an eye on them and give them extra healthy treats.

 

[chuckachucka]

My hen has just started laying eggs this week and I noticed now her earlobes have gone from bright red to very pale/white. Not any kind of lumps or crusting just the skin changing colour. I think its because of the egg laying so that would suggest some kind of nutrient loss that needs supplementing, but what? I feed her layer pellets and she free ranges have the day in a very grassy garden with plenty of bugs plus scraps from me so what could she need?

 

[brittanyvw]

Just noticed on my Buffs as well. Two out of 3 have it. It's been super cold in NorCal with lots of frost but no snow and they seem happy enough and friendly as ever

Anyone figure out what it is?

 

[Alanah1988]

. Mine is extremely white, I think from the stress of changing into a Rooster.