My hen's comb and wattle turned purple after a period of broodiness. Would appreciate some advice or insights, please.

[8esix]

My 6 month old Rhode Island Red's comb and wattle turned purple yesterday and it has me concerned since I understand it can be related to serious circulatory/respiratory issues. She is just coming off of a period of broodiness where she spend the majority of her time over the course of a week in the nesting box (no rooster, so we broke the broodiness by removing eggs and taking her on walks around the yard). I checked her for mites, but didn't notice any, though maybe I should try a more thorough check again (I am a very inexperienced chicken owner). She is a bit lighter than she was pre-broodiness, but I initially attributed that to her eating less since she spent most of her time in the nesting box. She is behaving fairly normally. No signs of lethargy (at least not while I'm around and I try to visit them 3-4 times a day). She still eats/drinks, moves around with her flock, and reacts in a quick and alert manner when I approach her. I haven't noticed any oddities in her breathing either. She isn't as aggressive as she was pre-broodiness when it comes to contending for food, but she'll still chase down and lightly compete for some snacks if I toss them out. I also noticed something red in her feces, but wasn't sure what is was or what to make of it (attached some pics)

I've added apple cider vinegar and some garlic to a separate waterer as I've heard it is generally good for chicken health, but I haven't taken any steps just yet to treat her specific condition since I'm not completely sure the issue.

Another maybe relevant piece of information: I live in NE and it's beginning to approach winter. We've had some colder nights/days with a little snow, but it's been fairly mild (mostly 40s sometimes 30s F). She doesn't show signs of being cold, but I'm also no chicken expert.

Here are some pictures of her comb and wattle now compared to when she was healthy ~2 weeks ago (start of her broodiness). Worth noting that her comb has always been floppy:

Please help, I am very concerned. Any insights or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone!

 

[nuthatched]

Sometimes birds with bigger combs and wattles have less blood flow to the whole appendage for various reasons, so they turn a little purple. Most likely it's some dehydration from being broody or the colder weather.

 

[Perris]

the poo looks normal to me but she's definitely a bit cyanotic; I've had a roo with a very marked cyanotic episode who recovered fine, and a chick with it that didn't make it, so know it can go either way. Hopefully one of the experts @azygous @coach723 @dawg53 @Eggcessive or @Wyorp Rock will be able to help you and your hen

 

[dawg53]

The white comb in the second photo looks like Favus, a fungal disease. If in fact it's Favus, it is contagious to other birds. Treatment is Miconazole cream applied to the effected area(s) and until it's gone. Wear disposable gloves when applying the Miconazole.
The feces is normal as mentioned.

 

[azygous]

The purplish appearance of the comb can be a light trick. Without getting into the weeds over it, light sort of bounces off the white coating on the comb which is reflecting a tiny bit of the red from the comb. The combination appears to our eyes as a purple hue. You get the same effect in some brown eggs when the bloom is chalky.

Her comb does appear to be infected with favus as @dawg53 suggested. Using an antifungal cream on it should fix it. If it does clear up with the cream, then you will know that's what it is.

Keep an eye on her behavior. Often yeast attacks when a chicken has some other issue going on and their immune system is at a low ebb.

 

[coach723]

Some birds can get purplish combs from stress or excitement, and it will pass. If it is something circulatory there really isn't much that can be done anyway, if it's respiratory then other symptoms should show up. I've lost a couple of birds to heart problems that had purplish combs, some with reproductive problems also did. Have also had birds with spells of purple that resolved and the bird was fine, and lived a very long life. So it may be an indicator of something, or may not. If everything else seems normal, then I would just keep an eye on her. Single symptoms can be important, but so is the overall look at the bird in total.

 

[8esix]

The white comb in the second photo looks like Favus, a fungal disease. If in fact it's Favus, it is contagious to other birds. Treatment is Miconazole cream applied to the effected area(s) and until it's gone. Wear disposable gloves when applying the Miconazole.
The feces is normal as mentioned.

Thanks much for your reply and suggestion. I will get on this right away. Can it be some over the counter Miconazole cream from a local drug store or is there a special chicken-dosage I should acquire from a farm store and/or online? Also, are there any adverse side affects I should be on the look out for if it doesn't end up being Favus (i.e. should I ensure that it is a fungal disease before applying, or can I use it preemptively)?

Thanks again

 

[8esix]

Some birds can get purplish combs from stress or excitement, and it will pass. If it is something circulatory there really isn't much that can be done anyway, if it's respiratory then other symptoms should show up. I've lost a couple of birds to heart problems that had purplish combs, some with reproductive problems also did. Have also had birds with spells of purple that resolved and the bird was fine, and lived a very long life. So it may be an indicator of something, or may not. If everything else seems normal, then I would just keep an eye on her. Single symptoms can be important, but so is the overall look at the bird in total.

Thanks a lot for your reply and for the information. This is good to know. I'm going to try applying some anti fungal cream as @dawg53 and @azygous so helpfully suggested while simultaneously keeping a close eye on her

 

[coach723]

The OTC stuff is fine, what most people use. It's pretty safe, just apply it to the area in question once or twice a day. If you see improvement, then that's what it is. Sometimes the combs get dry and can look whitish also. I really can't tell in the picture, but it won't hurt anything to use the ointment.

 

[8esix]

The OTC stuff is fine, what most people use. It's pretty safe, just apply it to the area in question once or twice a day. If you see improvement, then that's what it is. Sometimes the combs get dry and can look whitish also. I really can't tell in the picture, but it won't hurt anything to use the ointment.

Great, glad to hear that. I will give it a go. Thanks again!