[Flowerpower136]

The tale of Wilma continues . . .

She's the one who has always had noticeably large comb and wattles, and who had started paying 'unsuitable' attentions to Amber , and had started to experiment with crowing.   I thought she was one of those chooks who turns into a cock.

She's been a bit off for a few days, and her usually big red comb is now looking a bit pale and smaller.  Today she a lot more perky and more like herself, but her comb still doesn't look quite right.  Or at least not normal for her.

Any ideas?  She's an exbatt who I've had for just over a year.  Don't think she's laying anymore.

[orchardlady]

I'm afraid I have no hands on experience with ex battery hens but I'm told that they do grow very large combs and wattles because of the heat in the hen sheds. If her wattle is looking pale she may just have come to the end of her laying days.

[joyfull]

some of my ex batties have very pale small combs and yes these are the ones who no longer lay - perhaps the laying of eggs makes them overheat hence the need to have larger combs to cool down 

[Flowerpower136]

It's very odd.  I think we must just put it down to menopause. . . . with the strange behavious and now this, I think it must be hormonal.   

Always a very good excuse for outrageous behaviour, I find