Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: wolverine on August 16, 2010, 17:05

Title: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: wolverine on August 16, 2010, 17:05
One of my hens I had since she was 15 weeks she had very small blackish red comb then and now 4 months later it's bigger but still blackish and red I read something once about black combs being a sign of something bad is that always the case???
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: Foghorn-Leghorn on August 16, 2010, 17:46
I have a hybrid (bluebelle type but called a blue haze from where I got her) and she's got a dark leading edge on her wattles and comb.  She's always had them but is as healthy as the rest of the flock and lays well so I'm assuming (possibly wrongly but I'm sure more knowledgeable people can correct me) that this is just the natural pigmentation of her "floppy bits".
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: joyfull on August 16, 2010, 18:03
I have some with a darker tinge to their comb and wattles - it depends on the hen. The time to worry is if your naturally bright red combed hen changes to blue or black combed.
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: ma baker on August 16, 2010, 18:10
I have a blue haze as well and she has a very dark black and red mottled comb but is laying well and is one of my chickens who is always in the thick of it so I think it is the breed cos I was wondering about that as well.
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: wolverine on August 16, 2010, 18:17
Mine is a hybrid she was called a copper black whatever that is she is black with a green shine to her she is my favorite  :D I also have a hybrid that was called a blue something and her comb started dark but has got redder with time
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: D on August 16, 2010, 20:41
I have two hybrids, a Silver Sussex and a Bluebell, when I first got them both, at about a year old, they had black wattles and comb. Now though they are starting to turn more red.
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: wolverine on August 16, 2010, 21:11
Well that's reasuring I was bothered cause I found red mite in my coop I soaked the blody thing in poultry shield and half hour later after it had dried they were walking around alive!!   :mad:
Title: Re: Do some hens just have naturally dark combs and whattles?
Post by: D on August 16, 2010, 21:41
I've just given my coop a good cleaning this last weekend after I found red mite living in it. To start off with with scrubbed it all with disinfectant, let it dry, then soaked it in a red mite spray. Hopefully that should do the trick!