****Is it normal?

[huevosfritos]

I keep noticing black scars on the combs of my birds... small on the hens (they look like scratches) but bigger on the roosters. Can these scars be the result of fights between the roosters, and in the case of the hens, due to male rudeness? I will try to get some pictures.
thanks

 

[mypicklebird]

They are probably scabs from fighting with each other. Or in the hens, scabs from the rooster holding on to her comb instead of feathers. If it is a scab, there will be healthy skin underneath. Dried blood looks black. If any are bad, others may pick at the area and injure the bird worse- and you should separate. Do the pecked birds have enough space to get away from each other and any dominant birds? Crowding can will create pecked birds. Adult roosters around other adult roosters will almost always have a few scabs on their combs from each other...

 

[huevosfritos]

Their coop is pretty big and I keep it open during the day so they can go outside and do their things in total freedom... I had to built a few nests in the garage since some of my hens prefer that place over the beautiful and comfy nests I built inside the coop. I guess it's cooler there! I don't mind at all, even though, it was shocking finding an egg on the passenger sit

Of course i have been watching my birds. Their behavior amazes me!! Always the same hens go outside and hang out together, the others stay inside the coop surrounded by the same 2 roosters. The predominant rooster is Banjo a brown leghorn but most of the time he's outside with his favorite hens and only gets in the coop to trouble the others!!! My speckled sussex rooster is a "cripple"... one of his leg broke I guess, it's not deformed, it's just in an unusual angle. But he has trouble walking, getting back inside the coops and even eating since keeping the balance is very hard for him. It breaks my heart... what should I do?
Here are picture of Plutarco's comb so you can see the scabs!
thank you sooo much!

and just for your enjoyment here's Alfa Alegría, one of my favorites. She is sooo friendly! She will lay an egg on my lap if i let her.

 

[Chicabee19]

great birds!

what kind of chicken is that last one?

 

[huevosfritos]

she is an EE or araucana/americana...ameraucana. Green egg layer!