Hen's comb has started to hang

[Henrik Petersson]

Gullviva is a Marans/Orpington mix that we aquired a few months ago. She is healthy and just started to lay. However, she is somewhat bullied. Since a few days, her comb has started to hang. Could that be a sign of stress? It's quite a small comb, so it should stand up (like it did in the beginning).

I can't help associating with that killer whale in Free Willy that got a hanging back fin due to stress...

Pic from today.

Could it be that she has a rebellious teenage phase and has turned into a synth popper?

 

[lazy gardener]

Combs will do what they choose to do. IMO, it's not due to bullying, but simply her genetic predisposition.

 

[sourland]

I'm with @lazy gardener. Henrik, she's a beauty. Does she lay a dark egg ?

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Does she lay a dark egg ?

Nope - sadly, her dark-egg Marans genes have been tempered by the Orpington egg color genes, and the end result is that she lays cream-colored eggs.

 

[micstrachan]

I have seen a small comb droop on a healthy pullet (she just has a floppy comb) as well as a VERY sick hen (it fell over when she was very ill). Definitely keep an eye on her. I would examine her, too, just to be safe. Feathers can hide a lot! She is beautiful!

 

[AlleysChicks]

I have a few hens that combs do that. The parts are not securely attached so they flop over with the weight.

 

[Chickens and kittens]

I can't offer any other help then to say that my chickens comb is like that too but she's fine and I haven't seen any type of teenage rebellion in her haha, but your chicken is beautiful!

 

[ChickNanny13]

Beautiful girl

 

[Henrik Petersson]

I have seen a small comb droop on a healthy pullet (she just has a floppy comb) as well as a VERY sick hen (it fell over when she was very ill). Definitely keep an eye on her. I would examine her, too, just to be safe. Feathers can hide a lot!

So what would I be looking for during such an examination? Lice, I assume? Louse eggs?

I have a few hens that combs do that. The parts are not securely attached so they flop over with the weight.

I can't offer any other help then to say that my chickens comb is like that too but she's fine and I haven't seen any type of teenage rebellion in her haha

What worried me is 1) that it happened "overnight", and 2) that it flops over even though it's very small.

your chicken is beautiful!

Beautiful girl

She is beautiful!

You know, whenever I post about her online, people always say she's very beautiful. Some even go as far as saying she's the most beautiful hen they've seen. So I'm actually thinking about creating a new breed that looks just like her. Her father is buff Orpington and the mother is copper Marans.