Hen's comb is pale

[Starling5767]

This is not an emergency....not sure if I should have posted in another forum.

The hen is a red sexlink. She is 2-1/2 years old. Weight seems normal compared to other birds in my "family"
I noticed just yesterday that her comb and wattles are much paler than the other hens. She is otherwise normal. Active and eating good. Checked for parasites and don't see any. Poop seems normal.
Birds are housed in a 48x48 indoor / outdoor pen. The inside and nesting boxes have grass hay for bedding (I have horses so this is the easiest solution for me, but would change if necessary). The outside is pea gravel but also has a dirt area for dust bathing. I let them out on the weekends for a few hours for supervised play time and foraging. The 1st pic is the pale comb, 2nd picture is for comparison.

 

[Eggcessive]

The pale comb could be normal if she is not laying eggs, such as when they are molting. It would be a good idea to look her skin over (vent and elsewhere) for signs of mites which can cause anemia. Some mites may only come on them at night, so check with a flashlight. Here is a good article to see what to look for:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/08/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification.html

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi @Starling5767

Is she laying eggs?
There can be a few reasons for a pale comb.
--A hen's comb can fluctuate in color throughout the day, sometmes if you will watch it may be really red in the morning, then paler later that day when she lays an egg.
--At her age 2 1/2yrs old, she may be beginning to molt, a hen will usually stop laying eggs or have a drastic reduction in production. The comb will pale, look dry and shrink - have you noticed any feather loss on her and telltale new growth of pin feathers.
--Illness can be the cause of a pale comb as well, unfortunately, it was good that you check her over for any external parasites and looked at her poop.

If she is active, eating/drinking - keep an eye on her. Observe her behavior and try to determine if she may be molting or if you just saw her after she laid her egg. If it continues, it won't hurt to provide her with some poultry vitamins and little extra protein.

Keep us posted.

 

[Starling5767]

Good article. Thank you for the link. I will re-check for mites again today/tonight

 

[Starling5767]

Thanks for the tips @Wyorp Rock,
I do have some molting going on with two of the hens but this one does not seem to be. Only getting 1 egg a day for the past 2 weeks so not much laying going on. Poultry vitamins are a good idea ? Any recommendations ?

 

[twilightgecko]

my girls get pale combs/wattles when they get broody, or molting.. whenever they stop laying even briefly, their combs seem to change.. i make sure they are eating well and give them some healthy treats. yogurt helps because it's a probiotic..
she's a pretty gal..

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Any that you can find at feed stores like Tractor Supply - Poultry Nutri-Drench, Rooster Booster Poultry Cell, etc.