Dry skin on Comb?

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I noticed one of my girls has a dry pale comb so going to try the Vaseline first. Will let you know how she fairs. Thank you.
 
The Vaseline went on Ok but it collected loads of grit and dust! Discovered she was infested with lice and fleas which I have now sorted with Frontline. I am now swabbing the comb with Olive oil and hope this will perk things up. Honestly these poor little Birds have so much to contend with, so many horrible parasites, diseases etc! Who would have thought keeping Chooks is not all plain sailing! I still love them all though and will do all I can to see them happy and healthy and that wonderful gift they give each day in the form of a fresh egg! Bless 'em all!
 
My rooster LUCKY has had a dry comb on and off for months and I live in FL, land of humidity. I tried Coconut oil on his comb last night. Today, it looked even worse. I've tried Emu Oil, Olive Oil, Healx Soother Plus and Vaginal Antifungal creme. His comb starts to look better for a day or two and then back to dry, flaking.

Today, LUCKY let me pick the flakes off his comb with my fingernail as if I was his hen pecking the flakes off.

Can olive oil be put in his feeder water? Could it be a vitamin defiency? I spoil him with good food and Superworms, so I wouldn't think he would have a shortage of vitamins.

I could try putting the vaseline on him at night before bed but the way he digs in the dirt, I can imagine what his comb would look like the next day. Also, if he scraped vaseline off his comb and managed to eat it, would it make him sick?
 
HOUDINI1961 said:
My rooster LUCKY has had a dry comb on and off for months and I live in FL, land of humidity. I tried Coconut oil on his comb last night. Today, it looked even worse. I've tried Emu Oil, Olive Oil, Healx Soother Plus and Vaginal Antifungal creme. His comb starts to look better for a day or two and then back to dry, flaking.

Today, LUCKY let me pick the flakes off his comb with my fingernail as if I was his hen pecking the flakes off.

Can olive oil be put in his feeder water? Could it be a vitamin defiency? I spoil him with good food and Superworms, so I wouldn't think he would have a shortage of vitamins.

I could try putting the vaseline on him at night before bed but the way he digs in the dirt, I can imagine what his comb would look like the next day. Also, if he scraped vaseline off his comb and managed to eat it, would it make him sick?
Click to expand...

Keeping dirt from sticking to treated skin works if what you use absorbs well, and is done the night before so it has time to absorb while they are roosting. I never liked petroleum jelly since it is so oily and takes awhile to absorb in the skin. I use a little jojoba oil or aloe cream, and apply a conservative amount and spread it evenly, massaging it gently with my fingers. Dry hot weather and bright sun can dry their skin just like ours, but will choose shade every chance they get. So it is important for them to have waterers and feeders in shady areas.

I mix some vitamin A,D,E fortified wheat germ oil in feed once a week. I use 1/2 tablespoon per pound of feed. During any weather extremes, moulting, after medicinal treatments, breeding season, I use vitamin-electrolyte-probiotic powder in waterers. Perhaps some of those examples can help you.
 
Last edited:
Giving this older post a bump hoping someone has experience with this. Been keeping chickens 10 years and have never really had a problem with combs, but every winter they're bright red and look good (wet and chilly out) and every summer when the heat gets started their combs look dry. Not pale unless it's molting season, but sure dry. It gets so hot here that the skin on their combs needs to radiate out heat, so does anyone know of anything that can help moisturize a chicken's comb but not block heat escape the way oil would? Thanks
 

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