Huge combs on ISA Browns

[21hens-incharge]

ISA browns are a smaller bird than your others.

I think you got spent hens that were not kept in good conditions or fed well to begin with.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Here are more recent pics for comparison. My girls' combs seem comparable in size:

 

[Painted Calls]

My guess would be that their combs are due to the Leghorn genetics coming through.

As far as the laying.. It's possible that stress has caused less laying. It's also possible that they are older spent hens. In Isa Browns (or any Red Sexlink) 1-2 years would be considered old.

 

[Sadness Child]

My adopted RIR's comb

 

[Sadness Child]

This is my Crested Cream Legbar whose Comb was to big and died

 

[Emily2618]

It's not good to give antibiotics when not needed. So don't worry about those.

I would start them on a higher protein diet with oyster shell for calcium. Skip the layer for now. I'd also add Nutri-drench/Rooster Booster to their water for an added boost of vitamins and minerals too. They look very malnourished. Hearing about the place they came from - I'm sure they are.

Thank you! I was planning a trip to the store today for more feed and supplies so I'll add that to my list.

 

[Emily2618]

ISA browns are a smaller bird than your others.

I think you got spent hens that were not kept in good conditions or fed well to begin with.

Darn well, I was glad to get them out of there if nothing else.

 

[Emily2618]

You may still see eggs from them and can give them a good life.

I would be giving a chick starter feed or a 20% protein feed and oyster shell on the side.
Lots of time to recover and I think you will see a big difference in them.

Just know that most of us are saying they look much much older than 20 weeks.

Their beaks look a bit short.....like they had been cut back due to pecking/cannibalism. That too tells me they are older and were crowded.

They also look more like red sex links than ISA's to me.

They were absolutely crowded. The conditions they were being kept in were kind of appalling but I chalked it up to "they have hundreds of them so they are in this for money so I guess that's the most cost efficient way to do it" and whether I feel right about it is rather inconsequential. One of them is terrorizing my RIR chicks so I was debating on whether or not to keep her. I'm still debating on whether or not I'll end up keeping them. For now I'm just trying to restore some health and make them comfortable. I'm an animal lover and I've only culled one guinea before due to illness. My rooster was a real jerk and I couldn't cull him because I didn't have the heart. I offered him up for free, noting his behavior and someone who wanted a good free range rooster took him and he's doing well. I hate to think I might have to dispose of any but maybe I could offer them up for free as well (with full disclosure) if they don't work out.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Oh she's beautiful! Mine are white and light golden colored. I'm wondering if that's just they're juvenile feathering that hasn't changed yet or if they really are ISA Brown's. I'm still fairly new to the chicken game and I'm not familiar with the breed.

White might = red hyline/production reds

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have an Orp with a huge comb (old pic - her comb is larger now). And a Barred Rock, too. Genetics? Living in a hot climate? Idk. Never thought about it... Hmm...