4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[iar fach goch]

One of our girls laid a couple of softees a few weeks ago and has stopped laying completely since over a week. She is now losing her feathers so I assumed she was moulting. She has been perfectly happy in herself, doing all the usual hen things, but this afternoon I noticed that the tips of her comb were tinged with blue. She is still eating and drinking and out and about with the others, although a little quieter than usual. Any ideas?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I think I've read that that can be a heart problem but hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along soon.

[Plum]

If they have been pecked the tips of the comb can be discoloured. If the comb is blue I believe it is generally they are not getting enough O2, it may be worth asking the vet.

[sandyhas3chucks]

my oldest has blue tinging, it comes and goes a bit. ANH is right it is heart, but whether anything to worry about I am afraid I don't know. Greedy has had it for oh.... ages and ages!!!

[Tulip]

We lost our little Cori to presumed heart failure - she always had a blue-tinged comb and never laid.

 

However, one of Redfrock's girls (Bron I think) had a blue tinge that would come and go... as far as I remember she was a normal happy chicken who laid well and died peacefully quite a long time after.

 

I wonder if the stress of the moult is both affecting laying and putting a little extra strain on the heart? I'll be honest - I don't think much (if anything) can be done for her, apart from letting her enjoy life and trying not to worry yourself too much

[iar fach goch]

Thanks for the replies, blue seems to come and go, but at present she seems fine, still no eggs though and looking really scruffy, although quite a few new feathers coming, she looks a bit like a baby hedgehog! How long does a moult tend to last? We've had the girls over a year and this is the first one to go through a moult.

[Christian]

It depends on the hen, but around 6 weeks ish. I recommend adding poultry spice to the pellets to give them an extra boost of vitamins during the moult. Some feed rinsed tuna for added protein.