Pale and drooping comb

[tiny_tam]

Hello. I have recently been given two mature hens - one is laying but the other is not and she has a pink floppy comb. She looks healthy in every other way. However, she does visit the nesting box quite frequently but never lays an egg.

Does a pale comb indicate poor health generally or is it indicative of specific diseases? Or does it just mean she is not laying. She also had very messy knicker feathers when I got her but that seems to have cleared up.

Grateful for any advice - thank you.

 

[MommaOrp]

Are there any other symptoms at all? I'm not sure but maybe she could be egg bound, any more info would be great like how old she is? and poop description? may help others more experienced to diagnose

 

[tiny_tam]

Thanks for your quick reply.

No other symptoms - she looks healthy to me, just the comb and lack of eggs. I don't know how old she is but imagine she is getting on a bit. Her companion lays 5 eggs a week despite having her eye pecked out during transit. She generally is a little shyer and more prone to stress than her companion.

Here is a link to her photo:

She is the one on the right, her companion on the left:

Poops quite large, pale green and squashy.

 

[tiny_tam]

Links did not work on last post so here they are again:

My non-laying chicken:

Together with her companion (left), she is on the right of photo:

 

[tiny_tam]

Image tag doesn't work with my photos so I'll try again with a link:

Non laying hen:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bouncybili/6012013291

hen (right) with companion (left):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bouncybili/6012559516

 

[flowergirl60]

First welcome to BYC. Your hen might not be laying because of the move. How long has that been. I have one hen that has never laid. She was given to me in Feb. She is 1 and half yr old. She is healthy in every other way that I can tell. I have another hen that her comb will be floppy and pale when she is hot. Some hens take a little time to get use to a move. Other than that I would just watch her. My none laying hen would go to the nest box and sit and then get out with no egg. I won't get rid of her because she is sweet and my pet.

 

[tiny_tam]

Thank you. I got her at the beginning of June. Her comb has not altered since I've had her but her behaviour is like your non-layer. I have only just started to worry recently as I have heard a pale comb is an indication of disease. I am not sure if that means ill health generally or specific diseases and my reference book seems vague on the matter.

Thanks for your feedback. Most appreciated.

 

[Wynette]

She looks a bit swollen in the face - have you noticed any discharge from her beak or nose? Is there any sort of funky smell if you open her mouth?

If she's visiting the nest box but not producing an egg, she could be eggbound or be an internal layer. Try searching on here (see the 'search' feature in the blue bar above?) for other threads on how to handle. If she's laying internally, there's nothign that can be done, but there IS help you can give if she's eggbound.

BEST of luck!

 

[tiny_tam]

No discharge or smell. Thanks for the advice - I'll look into it and check her tomorrow as she's gone to bed now (it's night now in Europe).

Thank you very much for all your replies.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Also you might pick her up and feel here abdoman, is it hard or is it soft and feel like it has water in it? I have a hen who doesn't lay with pale comb that droops, she is full of fluid, she still goes into the nest box like she is going to lay but doesn't. She is still active and eats great, so we aren't doing anything , some will take a needle and drain out the fluid. but it has to be done again and again, as long as she acts fine then we will not intervene. I hope you can find out whats going on with your hen and she gets better.