~8 month Ancona hen stopped laying, comb is light pink

[hopscram]

Hi All,

Our Ancona hen stopped laying almost two weeks ago (before that she was consistent, every other day+), She's acting fine it seems--usually first out of the coop, quick to scavenge bugs and treats, but we've noticed her comb is a bit more droopy and has lightened in color.

We have eight in our flock, mixed hens, all less than two years old. She's the only one that seems affected. Never wormed them or had them checked over by a vet. They have a large run and a big coop, so no crowding issues, and have been a healthy, happy flock for as long as we've had chickens.

She's always been smaller than the rest, but you can see the different shade of her comb and wattles, which leads me to believe something's up (not to mention, she isn't laying eggs).

We're not sure where to start to help, or if things will improve on their own. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Goneloopychooks]

Hi All,

Our Ancona hen stopped laying almost two weeks ago (before that she was consistent, every other day+), She's acting fine it seems--usually first out of the coop, quick to scavenge bugs and treats, but we've noticed her comb is a bit more droopy and has lightened in color.

We have eight in our flock, mixed hens, all less than two years old. She's the only one that seems affected. Never wormed them or had them checked over by a vet. They have a large run and a big coop, so no crowding issues, and have been a healthy, happy flock for as long as we've had chickens.

She's always been smaller than the rest, but you can see the different shade of her comb and wattles, which leads me to believe something's up (not to mention, she isn't laying eggs).

We're not sure where to start to help, or if things will improve on their own. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!



Hi

hi
I reckon your problem is due to your chicken not getting enough food and water.
She could be being bullied by other hens due to her size.
Generally speaking a comb can tell us how healthy a chicken is so the brighter the comb is the more healthy the bird is... generally.
So maybe isolate your chicken at feed time for a while until she builds up her strenght.
Hope this helped
Brittany

 

[hopscram]

Thanks, Brittany, for the suggestion.

I'm not sure that's it as I've never seen any bullying, and we spend a lot of time with the chickens (especially the kids). If anything, Oreo, the Ancona, is one of the higher chickens in the pecking order. Despite her size, she has that Italian spunk. Plus, there are several feeders and waterers that they can access spread about.

I am trying not to worry about it too much with hope that she's just going through a surprisingly-early molt. The pale comb and no eggs is one of those "chicken and egg" conundrums--one could just as easily be related to the other.

We've just never had a problem like this before, and I know there's a ton of knowledge on this forum.

Thanks again.

 

[wolfgirl9]

the hen might have some sort of illness. i would look for similar pictures on the internet and find out what it is.