I don't know if this is normal in the winter or not, but on two of my hens their comb is shrinking. Please answer, I don't know what to do! They are both molting, I don't know if that has anything to do with it.
Is this supossed to happen? The comb on some of my hens is shrinking.
- Thread starter Miss Sebright
- Start date
A not-in-lay hen's comb will shrivel (paler, smaller, may look dry). So a heavily molting bird, a broody bird, a resting for the winter bird, AND a sick bird all will have smaller combs. When they come back into lay- the comb gets larger, redder and has a waxy appearance.
- Thread starter
- #3
Thank You!
Absolutely, it can be the molt. I have several with shrunken combs due to the molt.
Mine are too!
- Nov 30, 2009
- 21
- 0
- 24
Not to sabotage this thread, but I'm having the same problem. I have 7 RIRs and two of them have shriveling combs, and I haven't noticed much moulting (but I'm a newbie so I've never seen it before). I'm getting about 4 eggs a day. Is there anything I should be doing about this? Is this when I try the "burning the moult" method?
I'm in northeast GA, where I thought the cold wouldn't affect them until later.
I'm in northeast GA, where I thought the cold wouldn't affect them until later.
No, just let them molt naturally and give them extra protein for their feather growth. The first big molt happens about 18-20 months old and that's the one that will have them losing weight and feeling poorly.
We arent all that cold yet, but my girls have slowed down, and yes, the combs have shrunk too. I am just letting them be, I figure if God designed them for a break, who am I to mess with that? I am not into doing anything to "force" them through a slow season, I will simply take what I can get out of the girls.
- Nov 30, 2009
- 21
- 0
- 24
Hmmm... I just went out to look at my girls. All the other combs are nice and red. I noticed that the one with the shriveled comb has sunken eyes and her coat is darker than the others, kinda a black-red, with very black tail feathers. Her bum also has some poop on it, something I haven't seen since they were chicks. Do you guys think she's sick? Should I separate her from the others just in case?
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
-
-
-
I'm not sure if this is a rooster or a hen.- Started by Cosmic Crow
- Replies: 3
-
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
