Pea comb issue now feather loss

Barath88

Hatching
Apr 26, 2025
4
0
7
Hi everyone, looking for some help figuring out what wrong with my Azure chicken. She is 8-9 months old. Lays beautiful blue eggs almost daily but is getting lower and lower on the peaking order. I have been trying to treat/ heal her pea comb. It started to get a white coating on it about a month ago and was dry and cracked. I feel like I have tried every if with anti fungal and antibiotic creams. He pea comb seems to be gettin a bit better but now she is losing feather in her head and her tail feather don’t look nearly as nice as usual. I can’t tell if the other birds are pecking the feathers out or if she if shedding them. Pictures attached. Appreciate any insight! First 3 pictures are from yesterday and the last was from last week.
 

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Your bird has a large single comb, rather than a pea comb. Different combs are explained here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-9-comb-types.63029/
Do you have a rooster? Or possibly another hen that is mounting other hens? The missing feathers on the back of the head behind the comb are usually from being mounted, they hold on with their beak there. That can also sometimes cause injuries to the back of the comb. It also looks like the back is pretty floppy, sometimes that can cause moisture under the flop and contribute to issues. If it's bled, then that can draw pecking from others, it does appear that there are small pecking injuries on it. The comb itself could possibly be drawing attention as well, sometimes that happens. I would try putting a plain triple antibiotic ointment on it, see if it helps clear it up (combs generally heal quickly). And do some observing to see what's going on. Sometimes with a large floppy comb that is causing issues, particularly if it's restricting vision, they can be dubbed (partially or fully removed). That can involve a lot of blood, so I would either have a vet do it, or do some research on it so you are prepared.
The tail feathers could possibly be getting worn from being mounted as well. It's always a good idea to check for lice/mites if you see feather issues. If it's just wear and tear, they will be replaced when she molts.
 

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