Pink comb, yellow feet, small tail feathers, not laying

[mjmjross]

Hello,
Long time reader, first time poster. Just have a kinda puzzling problem (not even sure it is a problem but that's why I'm here, to ask the pros). We got these 2 buffs last March and they are the same age. They were chicks when we brought them home. They both started laying in September and all was fine but I noticed that on one of them, her comb wasn't really growing like the other ones were. Never thought much of it but now we also noticed that her feet are kinda yellow as well. She also never really developed the tall tail feathers like her sister did. She quit laying in November but her sister continues to lay. Poop is normal. Pine shavings in the coop and they mostly free range (when were home, just lost one to a bobcat and are being cautious now). She eats, scratches and drinks just as well as her sisters.






Should we be concerned? The pic shows the 2 side by side.

Thanks in advance.

Mark

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A hen that isn't laying will have shrunken pink comb and wattles, and the color goes out of the legs the longer a hen lays, when she molts she replaces calcium and other nutrients that she has lost and the yellow returns, you can tell how long and well a hen is laying by the bleaching of parts of her body. So the hen on the left is not laying the one on the right is, why they are different I don't know, if the one isn't acting ill than she is just a poor layer.

 

[mjmjross]

Great info! Thank you for that. I believe she is molting, also on that subject how long does it normally go on for? I think she started late November. That's what I thought the lack of eggs was initially from.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It depends on the hen, the better layers molt quick 4-8 weeks, poorer layers can take months losing one feather at a time. She will start to redden up when she gets back to laying.