[Pretty Chick]

I popped down to monitor my chickens and noticed that one of the black rock hen's face, comb and wattles look paler than usual.
I've just checked again and they have gone slightly redder, but not back to normal.
She has been laying for around 3 months and seems to be eating and drinking well.

Is she ill??

[carolbriar]

This has happened to one of mine - similarly laying for about 2 1/2 months.  She seems absolutely fine otherwise so will be interested to hear your replies pretty chick.  Mine were wormed with Flubenvet last week and deliced yesterday and 7 days previously with the Johnsons anti mite spray - they are less itchy and wondered if it could have been the lice that made the comb paler?

[Pretty Chick]

Where do I check for lice?

[carolbriar]

I think around the vent area and underneath their wings.  I hadn't actually seen any but felt they were scratching, etc a lot so got this Johnsons anti mite xtra which is for pigeons and they are definately not so itchy etc.  Other people on the forum had recommended it aswell.  I had used the barrier stuff but it made no difference and have since seen on the forum that it is pretty useless.

[Pretty Chick]

I've just been down to the chickens to check them all over and I think I can safely say that lice isn't the problem.
Could there be any other causes?

And Bertie (one of my broodies) looks paler too. Is this common in broody hens?

[carolbriar]

I've just been looking in the Haynes Chicken manual and it doesn't seem to say anything in there about the combs.  I am hoping that someone with more experience will come along and give us more information

[Pretty Chick]

I am hoping that someone with more experience will come along and give us more information

Hopefully  

[Jeanette]

I am just wondering if temperture has got anything to do with the  change in their combs. When i get hot i go a lovely shade of red.

[joyfull]

check their coups for red mite - to do this go out in the dark armed with a torch and a piece of white paper. open up and shine the torch to see if you can see any red or grey tiny insects. Slide the paper into the nooks and crannoes and along the perch edges to see if there is any red on it.

[Pretty Chick]

No red mite  .

I hope she's okay  . Has anyone got any more ideas?

[carolbriar]

My hen was definately not well today.  She didn't want to come out of the coop and wasn't very happy.  She was in one of the nest boxes and was pushed down and fluffed up.  She would  eventually come out, scratch around, wipe her mouth but not really eating.  Then back into the coop.  I noticed she had been spending a long time in the coop when she was laying - 4 hours in the past few days!  Anyway, because she wasn't eating and wasn't keen to come out and seemed out of sorts I went and saw our vet and talked to him about her.  He said that when a hen becomes dehydrated it can effect the colour of their comb.  I have been given Baytril and was advised to syringe some water into her which I have done on three occasions since 5pm.  She wouldn't come out on any of those occasions until just now and I found a warm egg underneath her (she has been laying most days)! She then came out and did her scratching of the ground, not eating and wiping her mouth on the ground.  I scattered some pellets down and she ate some and then she went and had some water on her own.  I just hope that this is the start of recovering as earlier I was really worried.   

[dizzylizzie]

My hen was definately not well today.  She didn't want to come out of the coop and wasn't very happy.  She was in one of the nest boxes and was pushed down and fluffed up.  She would  eventually come out, scratch around, wipe her mouth but not really eating.  Then back into the coop.  I noticed she had been spending a long time in the coop when she was laying - 4 hours in the past few days!  Anyway, because she wasn't eating and wasn't keen to come out and seemed out of sorts I went and saw our vet and talked to him about her.  He said that when a hen becomes dehydrated it can effect the colour of their comb.  I have been given Baytril and was advised to syringe some water into her which I have done on three occasions since 5pm.  She wouldn't come out on any of those occasions until just now and I found a warm egg underneath her (she has been laying most days)! She then came out and did her scratching of the ground, not eating and wiping her mouth on the ground.  I scattered some pellets down and she ate some and then she went and had some water on her own.  I just hope that this is the start of recovering as earlier I was really worried.   

She sounds broody to me

[carolbriar]

Hi Dizzylizzie, I wondered about that but she wasn't sitting on any eggs.  She did growl slightly when I opened the nest box each time but she was never on any eggs.  She really didn't look well at about 5pm when I went to give her the antibiotics.  Her crop had hardly anything in it and her comb and face had gone pale.  When she came out a bit earlier and ate a bit and drank I was hopeful that by tomorrow she would be feeling brighter but just now she had already gone into the coop again.  Why would she be broody if she wasn't sitting on any eggs?  When I have gone in and disturbed her in the nest box before she has come out and carried on as normal.  I'm confused now. 

[Casey76]

They don't have to be sitting on any eggs for them to brood

When she is sitting in the nest box, slide your hand (gently) underneath her breast (oo-er missus - that doesn't sound quite right!) and she may snuggle down onto it... definitely broody!

[GrannieAnnie]

That's what it sounds like to me too!  And I've got about 8 of mine broody at the moment, with no eggs!!