A few questions (combs/egg laying/ broodiness) from a new chicken carer.

[Rainorshine]

Hello! Earlier this year we bought three austra white hens. I’m still very new to keeping chickens so I wanted to ask some questions to ensure that I can give them the best possible care.

I have a few concerns with my chickens so I thought I’d firstly ask whether or not I have anything to worry about or if there’s anything I can do to help them.

First of all I’ve noticed that all three of them seem to be getting small cuts and scabs on their combs. I don’t know what the cause of this is because I can’t find anything in or around the coop which seems sharp. Presumably they must be pecking at each other although I’ve never actually seen this happen so I’m not entirety sure. I saw on another post that somebody recommended putting Blu Kote on it so I have ordered some, but I was wondering in the meantime if there’s anything else I could do to help them and if there’s any other possible causes of this which I should be aware of/telltale signs of other potential problems which I should look out for?

Another issue with the comb I’ve noticed particularly in my chicken (Jump) is that it seems to be rather floppy. Is this anything to be concerned about as well?

Also - My chickens haven’t been laying as much recently. They started laying in August and up until about a week ago all three of them have been laying every day, although now we’re lucky to be getting two eggs on a day. Is there any way I can tell which chickens aren’t laying or do I just have to keep watch? I read in another forum that this is probably just a normal reaction to the change in the weather and the length of the days, but it also started around the same time that Jump started being broody so I’m wondering if that may also have had an affect. (She’s stopped being broody now thanks to the help of this website ). I’m just wondering if them not laying will have any impact on them or is this a problem at all? How long should they go without laying before it is concerning and when should I expect them to start laying again?

Thank you for all of your help. And I have attached a picture of Jump.

Regards, Rain

 

[coach723]

Cuts and scabs on the combs are common. Could be from pecking (they will wrestle for roosting space) or from rubbing/catching or wire or feeders. How much roost space do they have? Unless they are really bad, I usually leave them alone. If it's bad you can put some plain neosporin or plain triple antibiotic ointment on them. Beware, Blu Kote stains and when putting it on a comb they will inevitably shake their head and it will fly everywhere.
Some birds have floppy combs. That in absence of any other health issues may be normal. It can sometimes accompany a health issue, so if it's a sudden change, then investigation is warranted.
Do you know how old they are? Egg laying frequency and length varies by breed, age and individual bird. In general, the older they get they tend to take more time off during shorter daylight months . Also this time of year molt is going to happen to most adult birds at some point, and that will also cause stoppage of laying until molt is complete. Pin feathers coming in anywhere on the body would indicate molt (as well as lots of feathers in the coop/run). Some birds may not resume laying until the days start to lengthen in the spring.
Broody hens will stop laying also until she's broken or is done hatching and raising chicks. How long it takes to resume laying can vary.

 

[Chickenman MAN]

Hello! Earlier this year we bought three austra white hens. I’m still very new to keeping chickens so I wanted to ask some questions to ensure that I can give them the best possible care.

I have a few concerns with my chickens so I thought I’d firstly ask whether or not I have anything to worry about or if there’s anything I can do to help them.

First of all I’ve noticed that all three of them seem to be getting small cuts and scabs on their combs. I don’t know what the cause of this is because I can’t find anything in or around the coop which seems sharp. Presumably they must be pecking at each other although I’ve never actually seen this happen so I’m not entirety sure. I saw on another post that somebody recommended putting Blu Kote on it so I have ordered some, but I was wondering in the meantime if there’s anything else I could do to help them and if there’s any other possible causes of this which I should be aware of/telltale signs of other potential problems which I should look out for?

Another issue with the comb I’ve noticed particularly in my chicken (Jump) is that it seems to be rather floppy. Is this anything to be concerned about as well?

Also - My chickens haven’t been laying as much recently. They started laying in August and up until about a week ago all three of them have been laying every day, although now we’re lucky to be getting two eggs on a day. Is there any way I can tell which chickens aren’t laying or do I just have to keep watch? I read in another forum that this is probably just a normal reaction to the change in the weather and the length of the days, but it also started around the same time that Jump started being broody so I’m wondering if that may also have had an affect. (She’s stopped being broody now thanks to the help of this website ). I’m just wondering if them not laying will have any impact on them or is this a problem at all? How long should they go without laying before it is concerning and when should I expect them to start laying again?

Thank you for all of your help. And I have attached a picture of Jump.

Regards, Rain

A.) Don't worry about the scabs ect on combs, mine have them all the time! If they are dry or it is cold put some Vaseline on them.
B.) I have ex-batts. They used to have floppy combs! Some breeds just have that naturally but for most the combs should be perky. It can be a sign of malnutrition, as well as if the comb is flacid, pink or white.
C.) My chooks hate this weather, they lay less, if she doesn't start laying when the weather is better/if she isn't molting then it may be cause for concern.

 

[Rainorshine]

Cuts and scabs on the combs are common. Could be from pecking (they will wrestle for roosting space) or from rubbing/catching or wire or feeders. How much roost space do they have? Unless they are really bad, I usually leave them alone. If it's bad you can put some plain neosporin or plain triple antibiotic ointment on them. Beware, Blu Kote stains and when putting it on a comb they will inevitably shake their head and it will fly everywhere.
Some birds have floppy combs. That in absence of any other health issues may be normal. It can sometimes accompany a health issue, so if it's a sudden change, then investigation is warranted.
Do you know how old they are? Egg laying frequency and length varies by breed, age and individual bird. In general, the older they get they tend to take more time off during shorter daylight months . Also this time of year molt is going to happen to most adult birds at some point, and that will also cause stoppage of laying until molt is complete. Pin feathers coming in anywhere on the body would indicate molt (as well as lots of feathers in the coop/run). Some birds may not resume laying until the days start to lengthen in the spring.
Broody hens will stop laying also until she's broken or is done hatching and raising chicks. How long it takes to resume laying can vary.

Hey! Thank you very much for your help, I’ve noted down a few things from this.

We got them in May. I don’t know exactly how old they were at the time but I’m presuming only a couple of weeks or so because they were quite small - About the size of a town pigeon, and they were still chirping rather than clucking.

They have two perches first roosting. One perch has enough room for one chicken to fully stretch out its wings, or two chickens to sit with a bit of space, or for all three of them to sit together with not much space leftover. So with having two perches I’m assuming that should be enough roosting space for them?

 

[Rainorshine]

A.) Don't worry about the scabs ect on combs, mine have them all the time! If they are dry or it is cold put some Vaseline on them.
B.) I have ex-batts. They used to have floppy combs! Some breeds just have that naturally but for most the combs should be perky. It can be a sign of malnutrition, as well as if the comb is flacid, pink or white.
C.) My chooks hate this weather, they lay less, if she doesn't start laying when the weather is better/if she isn't molting then it may be cause for concern.

I never even thought of Vaseline! Thanks for your help. It’s good to know that their laying and combs are fine.