Pullet with pale comb

[MamaWolf7]

I have a 5.5 month old pullet with a pale comb. She has had a pale comb from the day it started to appear. For the longest time I brushed it off as she was sexually immature. Now she (and the 9 other pullets her age and breed) are laying, but her comb remains extremely pale.

I know this is usually caused by anemia which can be due to internal or external parasites. We live in a very remote far northern region where parasites of all sorts are extremely rare. Furthermore, she is the only bird out of 24 with this condition. I have attached pics of 2 other pullets the same age and with combs the same size for comparison. Any ideas of what could be causing her pale comb and if there is anything I could do to help her if it is a health issue that should be resolved?

Thanks!

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

I'm definitely not the best at recognizing diseases and things related to that, but I'll throw some ideas out there.

Some chickens just have gray on their comb, but I'm not sure about yours. Hens who haven't started laying yet have paler combs than those who are laying. Some hens take more time to mature and lay.

Is the hen getting enough heat? Maybe her comb is getting too cold?

 

[Eggcessive]

Have you examined her in daylight, and again at night for mites? Look over her skin under the vent, legs, neck and wings. Are you certain she is laying? Could her comb having healing injuries from rubbing on fencing? Her wattles look more red,

 

[MamaWolf7]

She is definitely laying. I found her in a nesting box yesterday and checked back a half hour later and there was an egg in the box. It was in the afternoon and 90% of our eggs are laid in the morning so it was almost certainly her. Plus her wattled are just as red as the others girls.

She is plenty warm. Temps here have not dropped to more than 15 below freezing. From past experience their combs turn black from frost bite when too cold (-40 and choosing to go outside and stand in the wind instead of stay in the heated coop). Plus her excessively pale comb was first noticed in the heat of the summer.

I will check her over for mites today, but am unsure of how she could be the only bird suffering from a parasite? I have an area where all the chickens can enjoy a good dust bath year round. I am planning to use wormwood as a dewormer on the entire flock in a couple of days when I do the end of year major coop cleaning and switch over from wood shavings to straw for extra insulation in the cold weather.

I do not believe she has suffered a comb injury. Again, her comb has been way paler than the others for a few months. My old rooster was attacked by a cockerel (to be sent to freezer camp) last week and his comb is super dark red where he was bit from the scab.

Is it possible for her to simply suffer from anemia like some humans do? And if it is anemia, would it just affect the comb, as her wattled are a normal red?

 

[MamaWolf7]

Just harassed the entire flock (except those in the process of laying) with vent inspections. Not a single chicken had any signs of lice or mites. The girl with the pale comb is 100% laying. Her vent is large, moist and a healthy pale pink like the other girls in their prime. This was compared to my two hens that are past their prime with drier vents and five Ameraucana and Easter Eggers pullets that are 6 months and have not yet started laying who had tiny vents. I did notice that the girl with the pale comb was a bit lighter than her sisters and had less meat on her bones.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

Is she low on the pecking order? The mention that she is light and laying later in the day (being made to wait for a box?) could be a hint that she is. It's common for the bottom bird to not get as much as the others and be deficient as a result.

I would separate her from the others while she eats to ensure she gets more food.

 

[MamaWolf7]

Is she low on the pecking order? The mention that she is light and laying later in the day (being made to wait for a box?) could be a hint that she is. It's common for the bottom bird to not get as much as the others and be deficient as a result.

I would separate her from the others while she eats to ensure she gets more food.

She could be low on the pecking order. It is winter here now with temps well below 0f (-20C) so the chickens spend most of their time indoors and I spend a lot less time with them.

We are only getting 7hrs of daylight now so I only get 5 eggs a day from 13 laying hens. They have 7 desirable nesting boxes and 6 less desirable nesting boxes. When she lays is definitely not due to having to wait for a nesting box.

I have a feeder indoors and a second in their covered outdoor area. I also provide food scraps, entertainment (pumpkin, head of cabbage...) and snacks (sunflower seeds) on a regular basis. All that being said, she could be getting deprived of the same volume of food if she is on the bottom of the pecking order. I will make certain to give her extra chances to eat and see if that helps.

Thx for the suggestion!