my White Leghorn lays brown eggs - and her comb is pink???

[McGoo]

I recently got 5 young hens, including my white leghorn, Vivian, from a local family moving out of town... and she appeared to be a leghorn. At first her eggs were off white and papery, but after I wormed her she started to lay healthy, glossy, brown eggs.

And I thought that after I wormed her (saw round worms in the poop) that her comb would turn red.... but it's still pink - much lighter than the others and not floppy like a typical leghorn.

What do you think? Could this just be the color of her comb or is it an indication of illness? She (and the others) seem to be thriving.... no signs of illness.

 

[speckledhen]

She doesn't really look like a Leghorn, Colleen, more like a White Plymouth Rock. Is she molting? That will make them look pale sometimes.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Like speckledhen said, she doesn't look to be a Leghorn. She looks like a White Plymouth Rock to me. She has the red earlobes, not white like in Leghorns. I just love brown eggs...

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Agree with rodriguezpoultry and speckledhen. White Plymouth Rock.

 

[okiehen]

I agree your girl is a white rock.
This is a few of my white leghorn girls.

 

[McGoo]

Quote:
Thanks so much for the clarification. This explains a lot...I was wondering why she was so much calmer then I had expected from a leghorn. who knew

And as for the color eggs - well I really don't care about the egg color so much as using them as an indicator on the hens health.

It's a long story, but suffice to say that I got these gals 2 mos ago and I realized right away that they weren't really well cared for. So I knew that with care and time they'd look and be healthier... but the comb remains pink

Can plymouth rocks have pinkish combs rather than red? Just asking. Oh and I don't see any signs of molting.

 

[speckledhen]

If it's been really hot around your place, that extreme need for water that goes with it can cause the color to pale some. She's probably fine. Combs change color in accordance with feed, weather, health, etc.

 

[McGoo]

I'll just continue to keep an eye on her, just in case there is something wrong, but she sure doesn't appear to be sick as I look out my window and see her pecking away.
thanks so much.

 

[cluckychick]

A hens comb will also change color during her laying cycles. If she's in the prime of her cycle her comb will fade. If she's not laying her comb will appear redder. Leg colors run the same, when their laying their leg color will fade and when their not the leg color will come back.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

I'm sorry, I have to disagree cluckychick. Please don't think of me as being rude, but when hens are in their prime laying time, the comb is larger and redder. When they are leaving the laying time, the comb shrinks and becomes more pale.

This happens in broody hens and is most noticeable during a molt as well. The comb shrinks towards the head, the comb becomes pale and sometimes the face will pale as well.


As for the legs, the yellow pigment usually does not return when the hens stop laying, but I'm sure there's always a few exceptions to the rule.