Whats with the pale comb

[JO & RH]

I have three B.O.'s. Two have nice bright red combs
and the third (who has been a broody for 4-5 weeks) comb is stunted and pale pink.

I assume it is because she is not eating properly, as I never see her come out of the nesting box.

tonight I forcibly extracted her and after settling down she was very good about eating out of my hand.

An hour later she was back in the nesting box.

Anybody else seen the small pink comb syndrome.

 

[gottaknit]

Yes, one of my BOs looks that way sometimes, too. When she's molting, or during the darkest part of the winter, and when she was broody (two months!)

I don't notice a change in her appetite when she looks this way, but I notice it does coincide with her not laying any eggs. I think bright red combs must be an indicator of fertility.

 

[my first peepers]

From "Living with Chickens" by Jay Rossier:
"When a hen begins laying, the minerals that produce the yellow pigment on her legs and in her beak and other areas is diverted to the yolks of the eggs, and the color slowly drains from the pigmented parts of her body."
I am new to chickens but I was amazed when I read that! I had no idea! Could this be what's happening to your girl?