Does It look like BlueComb

[ClareScifi]

Here is another view:

 

[chkn]

Does it ever turn absolutely purple and does it seem like she's going to pass out if you lay her on her back? I'm not recommending you test it now. Does she have trouble getting enough air when she's anxious? You're thinking heart or respiratory right? Best to get a good antibiotic going now if you suspect it.

 

[buildingmyark]

Could she have bruised her comb by sticking her head through fence holes? How long has it looked this way? I wouldn't worry too much yet. Just keep an eye on it and hopefully you'll see some improvement in the next few days.

 

[ClareScifi]

Well, we put up a plastic mesh all around the greenhouse, and she does stick her head in and out to get at grass, but my hubby says the fencing is too soft to have bruised it?

Here is a picture of her sister, whose comb seems to have gone a bit floppy just recently? I wonder whether that could be from sticking her head in and out of the fencing, too?

 

[ClareScifi]

I haven't tried laying her on her back, but she seems to get enough air. She does show heat stress occasionally, lying on one side with wing outstretched, but so does her sister?

 

[chkn]

It kind of looks like the back of the comb is bruised when she pulls her head out!

If she's not breathing hard when stressed I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[ClareScifi]

That is a relief to hear. I told my hubby the fencing he bought was not a good idea! My fear was that they'd get their necks stuck in it. That hasn't happened, but this stress over worrying about her has been hard on me. Here is a picture of the two sisters eating together. I have just the 2 chickens, no children of my own, and they are my babies. Their appetites are good, maybe TOO good? The sister of the dark-combed hen has always had the best appetite, but my dark-combed girl seems ravenous for greens and sticks her head out of the fence holes more, craning her neck to get at them more. I hope it is just bruising.

 

[ClareScifi]

The breast issue has me stumped. Do you suppose she could still be broody, and that is why she is pulling out her breast feathers? I saw her sister pull one of them out for her yesterday.

The other odd thing about the dark-combed girl is that she can be so broody, even when not sitting on a nest, that she sleeps right on top of her sister, and her sister allows it! One night I caught her standing on top of her sister in the coop! So I wondered whether she might just have a very hot breast from being terminally broody? She hasn't been on a nest since early June, though. Could a chicken stay broody?

She used to go under the hosue for only a few hours a day and then come out and sleep with her sister in the evening. We couldn't get under the house to her eggs to get them out. This went on several months until she went full-scale broody in early June. Her legs still have a bit of broody-girl orange in them.

Or could she have a fever from a disease and that is why she is pecking out her breast feathers, or is it most likely parasites? So hard to figure out, and I fear stressing her into a heart attack if I tried to take her to a vet, who is at a far distance (the avian specialist).

I will post a picture of her plucked out breast area.

 

[chkn]

"Their appetites are good, maybe TOO good?" MMMM-hmmmm....

 

[ClareScifi]

Here is a picture of her pecked out breast feathers.



Do you think I should worm them, based on their hearty appetites?