Comb turning purple, mites/lice?

CurlyQuail

Songster
Jun 20, 2020
328
296
126
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Recently (5 days ago) picked up a group of 6 hens. They were in very poor condition (very pale combs, most had bumblefoot, they were kept in a 10x10ft cage with about 100 hens) but my S/O didn’t want to leave them. Yesterday, the tips of the comb on two of them had started turning purple, I checked in their throats and didn’t see anything blocking air so I gave them some vitamins in their water and checked on them when I had time. Today, it’s gone further up their comb and one has developed a few white spots on the comb as well. They’re very skiddish but I managed to snap a few pictures while they were in the yard.

They’re both about a year old, the previous owner said they were leghorns but their legs are nowhere near yellow so I doubt it. Not sure if they’re both laying but in the group of 6 we’ve been getting 3-4 eggs a day. The one with the white spots has bumblefoot, the other one does not.

Any ideas as far as diagnosis/ treatment/ anything else I should look for?

Edit:
Found mites or lice near their vents, they’re light brown in color but moved too quickly to get a picture. Is this a possible cause or just another thing they’re dealing with?
 

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Last edited:
Hmmmmm...
Not sure then. I had a roo whos comb turned purple. He had water belly, and died a few weeks later. Waterbelly is a heart failure.
Watch your hens carefully, to see if they are acting cold. The three hens I lost to water belly were leghorns.
Hope this is not the case with your hen!
 
Waterbelly is heart failure caused by stress. There is no cure. The hen is hatched with it, but it doesn't take effect until the hen is either stressed or eats something toxic.
 
Update!

Lice are gone, still laying eggs, eating/ drinking as normal.
Combs are now only purple in the morning and evening, not all day.

I’ve heard purple combs are mainly lack of oxygen, since it’s morning and evening, when they’re in their coop more, could it be a problem with the ventilation or bedding (they have pine shavings)?

Also if it’s waterbelly, I haven’t seen any other symptoms so I’m assuming it’s in the early stages. Is there anything I can do to make them more comfortable? Is it most humane to put them down now before it gets worse?
 

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