Purple comb

[Hedwig]

2 of my chickens have flopped over combs the bigger hen has it almost covering her eye and it is purple. Im not sure how to fix it or if it is a discomfort or not. Anyone know hot to change it back to red?

 

[AbiandAmi]

I know this was a long time ago but how did these chickens with purple combs go?? I have an ex battery hen with a very large comb and it is purple/blue on the ends but she otherwise seems fine and am wondering what to do

 

[Hedwig]

For my guys the smaller of the two hens grew out of her flopped over comb. The other bigger hen is still flopped over but isn't purple anymore

 

[CMV]

I know this was a long time ago but how did these chickens with purple combs go?? I have an ex battery hen with a very large comb and it is purple/blue on the ends but she otherwise seems fine and am wondering what to do

As long as she seems healthy and active, and does not have internal or external parasites, you do nothing but observe. As I said earlier in this post, comb color is an imperfect indicator of health in chickens. Comb color changes based on ambient and internal temperatures, hormonal changes, amounts of light exposure, blood oxygen levels, overall health and condition, circulatory status, and the list goes on I am sure. These are just the reasons I can list off the top of my head (and my head is tired, so I am likely missing a few).

 

[motherof3]

I have 4 chickens all 1 1/2 years old. My barred rock and leghorn are both molting. I live in LV where temps are in the 100-110 range right now. I came home to a lethargic barred rock barely breathing last week. She wouldn't stand. I thought maybe heat stroke so I dipped her in cool hose water. Her comb gradually got more and more purple until she let out one last cluck and passed away in my lap It is very sad. Now my leghorns comb is purplish on tips. I'm cooling the 3 in the house right now. The comment about cleaning out the coop has me wondering if the heat is making the ammonia levels higher and affecting them. I'm going to clean it out.

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. That kind of heat is very hard on chickens. They need shade and extra water stations. I use shallow pans of water in the shade so the chickens can cool their legs off. Make sure your coop has lots of ventilation, and the chickens would do best out of the coop in shade during the day. Cooling them inside the house or in a basement on very hot days is good. Electrolytes from the farm store (usually included in some vitamins) can be used in the water on very hot days. Sorry for your loss.

 

[motherof3]

Thanks so much for the info. I've been reading on here for the last 2 hours and I think I know part of my problem. The chicken we lost had mites. She had lost her feathers around her chute for the longest time but I didn't know that was a sign. And the leghorn with purple tipped comb shows signs also. My other 2 chickens stopped laying. I'm going to use the Adams flea and tick dip and sprinkle Sevin in coop after a good cleaning like Lollipop suggests. Then set up a DE and ash dusting area for them. I am new to chickens and I'm learning.

 

[Eggcessive]

I like these two links for showing pictures of lice, mites, and the different eggs or waste that they leave behind. Permethrin Poultry and Garden Dust is very good, plus Permectrin II permethrin spray for the coop. Lice are easier to get rid of than mites. http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[motherof3]

Thank you for the links Eggscessive.

 

[Eggcessive]

Your welcome, I hope it helps.