I think my hen's comb fell off??!!??

[madicakes]

I have an 18 week +/- blue laced red Wyandotte. I went this afternoon to feed the girls when I got home from work, and was looking at her. It occurred to me that something was different about her. She is missing her comb....entirely. She wasn't bleeding, acting strangely, or anything, just completely missing her comb. What would cause that?!?!?

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Did she get it caught? Possibly injured in a fight? Frostbite?

A picture would probably be helpful.

 

[madicakes]

I don't think it would be frostbite, only because none of the others, with larger combs, are having any problems. It is possible she could have had it injured, or gotten into a fight. She is one of my newest three hens. She has been in the coop with the others for a couple months now though. Here is the best picture I was able to get as of right now. She wasn't cooperating!

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Weird, sorry I have no idea. Hopefully someone else will have some ideas for you.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Do you have any "before" photos? I ask because this photo shows a bird who's comb seems to match her wattle development fairly well (though does not really look like that of an 18 wee old bird), and shows no sign of any sort of traumatic loss of tissue - so would like to see what it has looked like previously.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

I had sort of wondered the same. My only experience is with single and pea comb. I've never seen a rose combed bird at this stage.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I don't think it would be frostbite, only because none of the others, with larger combs, are having any problems. It is possible she could have had it injured, or gotten into a fight. She is one of my newest three hens. She has been in the coop with the others for a couple months now though. Here is the best picture I was able to get as of right now. She wasn't cooperating!

She is also missing her facial tissue, and I don't mean Kleenex. Look at her nasal passages you can see bone.

 

[madicakes]

I have been scouring my photos for before photos, because i honestly wasnt sure if she ever had one, and it hadnt occurrdd to me. Im going to do some more looking today because I would imagine i took some when i first for them. I think they are on my old cell phone. I will pay when i find them. I didn't even notice the facial tissue! This is my first time with chickens and i certainly am learning a lot.

 

[madicakes]

And now that i think about it, sheet is definitely older than 18 weeks. I got them on September 23rd, but I'm not sure how old she was then, but certainly more than three weeks old.

 

[madicakes]

Well she be okay without her comb and tissue, or should I cull her?