healthy hen /bluish/purple comb? pic added

[cluck-addict]

I have a super tiny EE from Mc Murray. She is healthy and laying and broody every once in awhile. She was broody for abou 2 weeks and she just started laying again. She has ALWAYS had a bluish/purple comb. Darker legs. She is a peanut. I haven't weighed her but there is NO way she is even a pound. She doesn't have any breathing problems and eats fine. Any ideas about the dark comb? Is this possible?

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Our silkie/americauna mix has a purple comb and bluish legs. Come to think of it, her toenails are silver grey and her beak is bluish grey. She lays a pretty pink egg every day. She is also kind of , well, stupid, like her silkie auntie. The dad's the silkie, he mates with everything, even boots.

It is very possible your EE is a mix of silkie; they are known for having black skin, black flesh, even black bones. In asian cooking, they're known as "the alkaline fowl", for their darkness.

 

[cluck-addict]

Thanks. I have seen a few posts about blue comb and realize she must be healthy if she isn't dead by now

Just curious how many birds really have blue combs? I should post a picture of her. She is SO tiny. You know are they are teacup super mini dogs. She could be a teacup chicken.

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

Yep, we call our Silkie/Rosecomb roo a teacup chicken. Looks just like a rooster, but 1/3 the size. Beautiful, with a purple comb and black legs n feet. He's gorgeous. Sings like crazy, but he's tiny. When we tried to find him a home, DH described him "like a yorkie is to dogs".....

 

[speckledhen]

Usually, a blue comb means her heart isn't working right and circulation isn't up to par. Blue Comb the disease isn't that common, so I wouldn't go there as your first thought. Also, her size may mean her heart has a defect. Had one Delaware like that, but we didn't realize she was smaller due to a heart defect. As she was about to come into lay about 24 weeks old, found her sitting with her heart racing. Examined her in the house, couldn't find anything wrong. The next morning found her dead inside the coop when we came back from errands. We did open her up and found that dark arterial blood in her chest cavity and her heart imploded, or exploded, not sure, but one chamber was completely deflated, poor girl.

I'd just watch her and see if her breathing ever becomes labored, like her heart is working too hard. I could be way off base, but it's just something I thought I'd throw out there.

 

[cluck-addict]

Thanks everyone. I should have mentionied she is a bantam EE. She has always had a darker comb. I'm going to go hunting for photos of silkies. and Silkie/cross She runs around and plays just fine. I've never been concerned about her health until I started seeing more about blue comb disease. She is so sweet.

 

[Whitehouse Quail]

Oops, I'm stupid

 

[cluck-addict]

I was able to get a photo tonight in the coop while they were sleeping.