Pale comb

[Sue]

Is a pale comb significant in any way? My buff sussex who isn't laying at the moment (none of them are) and is doing a slow moult, she's much more sensible than the others and is losing them slowly and replacing as she goes. Her comb is very pale though. Is this because she's moulting, not laying? She seems perfectly healthy, eating very well, a varied diet. No parasites to be found, but am going to dust tomorrow just as a prevention. None of the others seem to have pale combs even the younger birds.

 

[chrismahon]

A lot of ours have pale combs at the moment, some almost white, due to the moult and not laying. The red comb is a flag to the cockerel to say "I'm ready" and the comb will get more red when the moult is finished and bright red a week before the first egg.

 

[Sue]

Thanks Chris, one less thing to worry about now then!!

 

[Marigold]

Yes my 10-month-old buff sussex is exactly the same, she started a big neck moult 3 weeks ago and now this is growing beyond the 'hedgehog neck' stage is now beginning on her copious underwear. Very pale comb, but this is to be expected. She's fine otherwise, I hope the coming change in light levels following the winter sosltice will persuade her back into lay sometime in January. I also have a 1-year-old Amber Star hybrid who is not moulting and has a large bright red comb, but hasn't laid for about 3-4 weeks. Her 'sister' form the same hatch, a Silver Star, is laying 6 eggs a week as I would have expected from both of them.

So, basically, nothing to worry about, Sue - but if you're like me, you're out buying eggs at the moment for the first time in a long while!

 

[chrismahon]

We had to buy some as well Marigold. They tasted of nothing -just looked like an egg.

 

[Sue]

Yes, I have been buying eggs for about 4 weeks now! A bit of a shock as I haven't bought any since March! Don't really want to buy them, not because of the cost, but because now I know hens have very individual personalities, I hate to think of them all packed into a large, nameless flock of birds, even if they are free range! Silly really as, although I have always bought free range, it hasn't really 'hit home' what I was buying before. I try to buy from a local supplier who keeps a small number of well looked after hens if I can, but they aren't always available. My buff sussex moulted more around her neck in one go than any other area. The rest she's (sensibly) done a bit at a time. My French blue maran dropped everything at once and when one of my neighbours saw her (a hen keeper herself) she asked 'what's that?' in a very surprised voice!!! She's now looking very beautiful (will try to get a photo to post) with nearly a full set of sparkling feathers.