Broody hormones - purple comb?

[loohoo]

One of our 6 month old Buff Orpingtons is going broody, I guess? I thought it seemed kind of early, but she's been laying eggs for about a month and a half now. Today when I went out to collect eggs, she was still in the nesting box past the time she usually lays and she fluffed out all of her feathers and was complaining quietly under her breath. I picked her up and there was one egg she was sitting on, as well as 2 golf balls. I took the egg from under her and initially left the golf balls, but after I saw her nudge them back under herself with her beak, I removed them all. I set her outside the coop, she ate and drank a tiny bit, pooped and then went back in to the now empty nest box and plopped back down.
The thing I'm worried about is, part of her comb, towards the tips is a darker color - almost purple-y. She has no other symptoms of anything, only sneezes when someone is dust bathing, no nasal discharge, no diarrhea, the rest of the comb and wattles are red. When she was out of the coop today, she seemed ok, was fluffing her feathers out, flapping her wings, and complaining at the other girls. (By the way, they seem...confused by her behavior today, they kind of avoided her in the run and occasionally go in the coop to stare at her in the nesting box. Lol)
Can hormones cause discoloration of the comb? Just seems weird they appeared at the same day she decided she was broody. The weather today was in the 60s, I think it got down to the 40s last night..but not freezing.
Thoughts?

 

[sourland]

I don't think that you have a problem other than that she is broody, and starting so young may very well turn into a frequently broody hen. Great if you want to add to your flock. Not so great if you want egg production.

 

[loohoo]

I don't think that you have a problem other than that she is broody, and starting so young may very well turn into a frequently broody hen. Great if you want to add to your flock. Not so great if you want egg production.

Thank you so much for easing my mind! ❤ I always jump to worst possible scenario - heart issues, etc in this case with the comb color. Rationally I realize there would likely be other symptoms present if something severe was happening but you know, worst case scenario and all! Thanks again!

I'm definitely not super thrilled about the broodiness, we don't have a rooster and we only are allowed to have 5 total hens so not looking to hatch out chicks I wondered if her starting that so young would lead to her being broody frequently! One of our other girls, same age, was sitting off and on near her today after she'd already laid and I was like noo, don't act like her!!

 

[Vickischics]

Thank you so much for easing my mind! ❤ I always jump to worst possible scenario - heart issues, etc in this case with the comb color. Rationally I realize there would likely be other symptoms present if something severe was happening but you know, worst case scenario and all! Thanks again!

I'm definitely not super thrilled about the broodiness, we don't have a rooster and we only are allowed to have 5 total hens so not looking to hatch out chicks I wondered if her starting that so young would lead to her being broody frequently! One of our other girls, same age, was sitting off and on near her today after she'd already laid and I was like noo, don't act like her!!

I swear they talk to eachother!!
If not, I put words in their beaks! Lol

 

[aart]

I'm definitely not super thrilled about the broodiness, we don't have a rooster and we only are allowed to have 5 total hens so not looking to hatch out chicks

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.