Cockerel Uncomfortable With Floppy Comb. Is There A Fix (Besides Dubbing)?

[GardenerGal]

I have an eight-month-old cockerel that has developed an enormous comb. Due to a congenital condition, the comb bends and flops over his left eye. He is constantly trying to get the comb away from the side of his face, and it's evident that it is causing him discomfort.

I'm wondering whether if there is a way that the comb can be mechanically lifted and held upright so it's away from his eye and face. Maybe a small block of soft rubber or fabric that I could stick to his head with a non-toxic adhesive, that would push the comb up and away? Dubbing is not an option, because of the size and fleshiness of the comb at this point. I would have had it done when he was a chick, if I had known that this would happen.

Any ideas?

 

[Lauren Kim]

I think that your cockerel has a lack of calcium, protein, or some other nutrient. Try giving him yogurt(completely safe for chickens). If that doesn't work, then give him cat food(not too much, too much coukd result in sickness). Maybe ask some professionals here on medicated feed.

 

[GardenerGal]

Thanks, Lauren.
He is on a balanced diet (Blue Seal Grow-and-Show, which is a maintenance diet), and also gets a mash of Grow-and-Show mixed with yoghurt, mealworms, chopped greens and carrots, fruit, etc. His water has Durvet vitamin/electrolyte supplement in it as well.

I got him when he was 8 weeks old. He's a "rescue" that was abandoned on a college campus.

Even then, he had a kink in his comb - it slanted in one direction, and I suspect that this is something that was congenital and it just got more pronounced as his comb reached its mature size. I probably should have had it dubbed when the comb was small, but unfortunately that was an oversight on my part.

That's why my focus now is on whether there is some safe way to prop the comb up so it is not lying against his eye and irritating him. I guess I will try a few things and see if they stay put. Was hoping that maybe someone else on BYC has had to address such a situation and had tried things that worked for them.

 

[Lauren Kim]

Well, there is usually a backstory to a rescued animal. Did he always have the floppy comb?

 

[GardenerGal]

Lauren, yes, there was a kink in it when I got him at about 8 weeks old. I should have dubbed it then, but didn't think of it. Now that he is mature, the comb is just doing more of what it did as a tiny chick comb. He shakes his head constantly trying to get it from touching his eye. (And I did check him thoroughly to make sure the head-shaking isn't from parasites... it's not. )

I'm working right now to come up with some kind of fabric roll that I can carefully attach to his head at the base of the comb, to create some distance between the "flop-over" and his eye. He does kinda look like Elvis, though.

 

[Lauren Kim]

Lauren, yes, there was a kink in it when I got him at about 8 weeks old. I should have dubbed it then, but didn't think of it. Now that he is mature, the comb is just doing more of what it did as a tiny chick comb. He shakes his head constantly trying to get it from touching his eye. (And I did check him thoroughly to make sure the head-shaking isn't from parasites... it's not. )

I'm working right now to come up with some kind of fabric roll that I can carefully attach to his head at the base of the comb, to create some distance between the "flop-over" and his eye. He does kinda look like Elvis, though.

Haha! I never experienced this, because I never rescued a chicken, but feel free to ask anyone in this community and if you want to give him a nickname, you know what to do

 

[Welshies]

You could always try using clay or sticky tack.... hmmm...

 

[junebuggena]

Breed? Some boys just have really floppy combs.

 

[Squishychicken]

pics?

 

[Hamiam]

Picture?