Blue/Purple spot on hen’s breast

[nicosturla]

I have a hen that has been broody for five weeks now; has not laid, and just started voluntarily leaving the coop every morning a couple days ago. She has gotten quite skinny while broody but appears normal and healthy. She clucks a little more and is more cautious than she used to be but seemingly healthy. Today, I noticed this spot on her breast by her crop. It looks almost like a patch of mold, I have attached photos.

Is this something I should be concerned about/ does this need treatment?

 

[nuthatched]

It's just a bruise, chicken bruise greeny blue, it should heal fine.

 

[azygous]

Since I don't have time right now to go into broody hens and all it involves, I suggest you read this. https://the-chicken-chick.com/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

Sitting for five weeks is not healthy and is likely associated with this bruise. Chickens bruised from an impact, hitting the body part on something, is usually a light green color. This looks more like bleeding under the skin from compressing the blood flow by pinching it off. It's what my skin looks like when I accidentally pinch myself with some pliers while not paying attention while working.

My guess is the bedding became thin and she's been lying on bare wood for long stretches. Yes, it's a bruise and it will heal, but she should be broken of her broodiness immediately. She will then stop sitting in the nest and start eating again.

 

[nicosturla]

Since I don't have time right now to go into broody hens and all it involves, I suggest you read this. https://the-chicken-chick.com/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

Sitting for five weeks is not healthy and is likely associated with this bruise. Chickens bruised from an impact, hitting the body part on something, is usually a light green color. This looks more like bleeding under the skin from compressing the blood flow by pinching it off. It's what my skin looks like when I accidentally pinch myself with some pliers while not paying attention while working.

My guess is the bedding became thin and she's been lying on bare wood for long stretches. Yes, it's a bruise and it will heal, but she should be broken of her broodiness immediately. She will then stop sitting in the nest and start eating again.

Since I don't have time right now to go into broody hens and all it involves, I suggest you read this. https://the-chicken-chick.com/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch/

Sitting for five weeks is not healthy and is likely associated with this bruise. Chickens bruised from an impact, hitting the body part on something, is usually a light green color. This looks more like bleeding under the skin from compressing the blood flow by pinching it off. It's what my skin looks like when I accidentally pinch myself with some pliers while not paying attention while working.

My guess is the bedding became thin and she's been lying on bare wood for long stretches. Yes, it's a bruise and it will heal, but she should be broken of her broodiness immediately. She will then stop sitting in the nest and start eating again.

Thank you for all the information. I have broken her of her broodiness in that she now spends all day outside the coop and now longer staying in the nesting box. She was sitting in there for a while before now however. I will continue to keep her out and her bruise should heal on it’s own soon?

 

[azygous]

Yes. Activity will improve blood circulation, and the bruising will absorb into her body and disappear. Her appetite will return to normal soon, and she will soon put weight back on. Her plumage should also improve once she returns to regular dirt bathing and preening.

Rule of thumb is the shorter the time a hen has been broody, the shorter time it requires to break her. The longer she's been broody, the longer it takes to get the hormones back to normal.

Unless I want a hen to incubate eggs, I break a broody on the first day she sits on the nest for 24 straight hours. Often it takes only one day and one night to break her. The longest its taken me to break a broody was nine days. If the hen is still returning to the nest, not to lay eggs but to sit, she isn't fully broken and requires more time in an open mesh bottom cage to allow air to cool her body down to normal. Only then will the broody hormones leave her body.