Ok I have another newbie question. Hens are 29 weeks old, on FF 7 weeks & I got the hens Aug 4th. They still are NOT laying eggs yet.
They all eat well, forage well and are active. Today I noticed a hen with a pale comb. Now while none of mine have large combs they have been at least pink & some days red. I look at the hens everyday if nothing more than when I close them in for the night. But that pale comb was def noticeable. So tonight I did an inspection on them all again. And took some pics as well.
I didnt see any mites like the pics Bee was so kind to post. Little dusty they were but skin is clear & no bugs, nits or eggs that I can tell. Very dirty legs so i washed them so I could inspect them. Legs are yellow, scales are soft to touch. Pad of foot soft. (I couldnt find that little hole you were talking about Bee that was impacted on your hens- which I took as a good sign)
Feathers are soft & super shiny. I saw a few spots where the pins (i think they are called that) that didnt have feathers in them. There was a few flakes in their feathers but I think its what shedding from their feather. Nothing squirmy just looks like flakes of skin.
Eyes were clear. nothing that looks like bugs around them & nothing I could see moving. Their vents are small and skin is clear and yellowish in color. I had one hen (not one with the pale comb) with a tiny bit of poop on a feather or two. But I am not worried about it. Skin is clear.
Besides the pale comb & losing a few more downy feathers the hen looked like the others. She was out foraging with them all today. She was even first to take cover in the run when the nearby crows started squawking. I havent changed their feed. Tho I am still working on samae bucket of FF for over a month now. But it doesnt smell bad at all. They did have some grapes, apples & squash yesterday since it downpoured all day & while they like the rain it was very muddy & lots of standing water from all the rain. (but that didnt stop them from jumping through puddles when the rain stopped
)
So do hens sometimes have a pale comb? Is it an indication of something? And do hens not have feathers under their chins?
A look of the underside of chin. All 4 hens like this to some degree. They have been wearing their food in this same area. I know I need to lower the feeder a little to help prevent this.
Face shot. You can see the FF stuck to face & feathers on bottom of chin. I dont see any eggs or bugs.
One hens legs. U can tell where I wiped the dirt from their leg. But no hard scales on the let. Its smooth & soft.
I think i need to get them an entrance mat so they can wipe their feet before bed
One hens vent. I am guessing they will get larger before they start laying? When I checked them a few weeks ago it seems they are same size. (sorry I couldnt get better pic- just me checking them and trying to take a pne handed pic while holding them)
Pale comb hen. Around the eye and her wattle are still red though. She is one of the smaller hens I have
Another chin look.
Any suggestions, thoughts on my questions & pics?
Thanks n advance
They all eat well, forage well and are active. Today I noticed a hen with a pale comb. Now while none of mine have large combs they have been at least pink & some days red. I look at the hens everyday if nothing more than when I close them in for the night. But that pale comb was def noticeable. So tonight I did an inspection on them all again. And took some pics as well.
I didnt see any mites like the pics Bee was so kind to post. Little dusty they were but skin is clear & no bugs, nits or eggs that I can tell. Very dirty legs so i washed them so I could inspect them. Legs are yellow, scales are soft to touch. Pad of foot soft. (I couldnt find that little hole you were talking about Bee that was impacted on your hens- which I took as a good sign)
Feathers are soft & super shiny. I saw a few spots where the pins (i think they are called that) that didnt have feathers in them. There was a few flakes in their feathers but I think its what shedding from their feather. Nothing squirmy just looks like flakes of skin.
Eyes were clear. nothing that looks like bugs around them & nothing I could see moving. Their vents are small and skin is clear and yellowish in color. I had one hen (not one with the pale comb) with a tiny bit of poop on a feather or two. But I am not worried about it. Skin is clear.
Besides the pale comb & losing a few more downy feathers the hen looked like the others. She was out foraging with them all today. She was even first to take cover in the run when the nearby crows started squawking. I havent changed their feed. Tho I am still working on samae bucket of FF for over a month now. But it doesnt smell bad at all. They did have some grapes, apples & squash yesterday since it downpoured all day & while they like the rain it was very muddy & lots of standing water from all the rain. (but that didnt stop them from jumping through puddles when the rain stopped
So do hens sometimes have a pale comb? Is it an indication of something? And do hens not have feathers under their chins?
A look of the underside of chin. All 4 hens like this to some degree. They have been wearing their food in this same area. I know I need to lower the feeder a little to help prevent this.
Face shot. You can see the FF stuck to face & feathers on bottom of chin. I dont see any eggs or bugs.
One hens legs. U can tell where I wiped the dirt from their leg. But no hard scales on the let. Its smooth & soft.
I think i need to get them an entrance mat so they can wipe their feet before bed
One hens vent. I am guessing they will get larger before they start laying? When I checked them a few weeks ago it seems they are same size. (sorry I couldnt get better pic- just me checking them and trying to take a pne handed pic while holding them)
Pale comb hen. Around the eye and her wattle are still red though. She is one of the smaller hens I have
Another chin look.
Any suggestions, thoughts on my questions & pics?
Thanks n advance
