Ancona Combs and Wattles

[WAChickens]

Unfortunately I can’t get any pictures but my two anconas combs and wattles have been shrinking and changing color. Combs that were bright red and would stand right up are now shriveled or hanging and are a pinkish color. Recently fall has been coming around and I figured it was just because of the weather and this is how their body is handling it. Any knowledge or advice? Also these girls are both 8 months old

 

[Eggcessive]

How light is it inside your coop during the daytime? Can you examine their skin especially around the vents and under, for lice or mites? Have they been laying eggs? New layers should keep laying through their first winter normally. My 2 anconas laid almost every single day for the first couple of years.

 

[WAChickens]

How light is it inside your coop during the daytime? Can you examine their skin especially around the vents and under, for lice or mites? Have they been laying eggs? New layers should keep laying through their first winter normally. My 2 anconas laid almost every single day for the first couple of years.

Sorry to respond so late but we usually get about 11 hours from sunrise to sunset. As far as I know they don’t have mites but I’m not sure about then laying eggs everyday.

 

[Eggcessive]

Usually brand new layers will lay through the first season. I usually place a small light on a timer to come on from 5AM to 8AM, and that helps give my hens a full 12 hours of daylight to help them lay through the winter. Some do not like to do this, and prefer to let them take a rest in winter months. Most of my hens are older, 5-7 years old, and only about 4 out of 17 even lay any more. I would keep investigating for other possible problems causing the pale combs at such a young age. But usually pale and shrunken combs happen when they stop laying.