[wardy]

Hi all,
Can hens get sunburn on their combs? as a couple of mine have a purple patches on the tips? they are all well feeding well and laying well. I would hate to think their is anything wrong.

[RubyR3d]

They can get touched by frost so sunburn wouldn't be out of the question I suppose. Sometimes though it could be a sign of circulation problems I think. Try using a bit of vaseline and keep an eye on it getting worse. With more than one it doesn't sound as though it could be the latter.

[wardy]

Thank you for the advice, I will keep an eye on them.

[tosca100]

We have this problem here but although it seems to be caused by excessive heat there is no lasting damage and they are fine when they cool down. Sort of heat stress.

Not sure how relevent that is in the UK at the moment though!

[joyfull]

if you think it could be sun causing it then you could try rubbing a little sunblock on it - I have to do that with my bull terriers nose where he has no hair and on his tummy because he does like to lie on his back sunbathing.

[Sassy]

Vaseline in the sun will cause more problems. Sometimes these darker patches can be dirt so worth seeing if they wash off!