Weird comb growth?

[mandelyn]

So I just spent awhile looking around at deformities for chickens, and am still baffled by what would cause this thing with the comb.

I have an older hen, and the back of her comb is sucked in on itself. The front 3/4 of it is normal. The back, it looks as though it was pulled in from the inside. If that makes sense. Didn't think much of it, chalked it up to a weird defect.

Now Spike, one of the babies, is developing in the exact same way. Him and the others were deficient in vitamin E, so I'm wondering if the weird comb growing is a deficiency symptom too, or an unrelated thing.

Since it looks identical to the hen, but different breed, age, and bloodlines... then it must be a "thing" and it must have a name.

Any ideas?

 

[Gallusfarm]

it could be an inverted spike/leader. Not unusual in rose comb birds. It's a DQ. Pic here
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/539921/rose-comb-question

 

[mandelyn]

That's exactly it! Both the birds I have like that are single comb.

Why is this my year for weird stuff? Inverted spikes and vitamin deficiencies. Gosh I hope that's it. And poor Spike, now he's no good for breeding when he hatched as the only male with 5 lovely ladies. Sad!

 

[Gallusfarm]

Don't give up!!

 

[mandelyn]

Haha, not giving up. Inverted comb on a rare breed, hard to come by rooster isn't such a bad thing. I know a guy that has some more, but he'd eat Spike if I traded out boys for a better quality one. So moving forward, I have to decide if I want a rooster for breeding, or keep Spike as a pet (depending on how much he crows, so far his practice crows have been every couple of days, and not constant like some). Or find Spike a nice country home. Though I would have to part with 2 pullets to help him find that home.

He's my buddy though. So it's more of a disappointment than if he was just another rooster I didn't need.