Pullet's Comb Turning Grey!? Please Advise!

[ravensnow]

Please help me understand what's wrong with my little one.

I had an Ameraucana pullet die at 17 weeks old on May 12 of avian leukosis. I had an Ameraucana pullet die at 18.5 weeks of Marek's on June 5. Now my 16.5 week old lavender Orpington named Opal suddenly has a grey comb. I hope you can understand why I am so worried. It's just her and her one-week-older lavender Orpington sister left.

She has a funny quality to her voice, what I interpret as a honking and what my boyfriend hears as raspy. I thought she was just undergoing a change in her voice/puberty and wasn't worried about it.

She is acting just the same, active and jumping on laps. She's interested in eating and drinking just like always. It has been raining constantly, and their run will just not dry out. It has also been in the 60s-70s degrees F.

Here is her sister, Pomona, for comparison.

The base of their combs (the flat part that isn't beak anymore) on both chickens are dark/black.

Please, please, tell me what you think is wrong and what to do about it. I am ever grateful to the help found here.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I just see it as the normal pigment around the face. It will turn more red as she matures.

 

[ravensnow]

Here's an updated photo in the daylight yesterday. Her wattles are a bright red, but they have some grey speckles.

Everything still look normal?

 

[coach723]

I think she looks perfectly normal! It may get redder as she matures, may always have a bit of grey. Some birds mature slower than others. I don't see anything worrisome at all.

 

[chickens really]

Well if you have had those diseases in your flock it's definitely possible it will die too. Hopefully it will be okay..

 

[Henriettamom919]

I actually think she looks very good but given you're history within your chickens I'd add some nutridrench to her daily routine and offer some soft, high protein snack to entice eating. Scrambled eggs or tuna with a little olive oil or coconut oil are good.

Try that and report back with an update. It might just take a little vitamin boost and snack to perk her up!

P.S.-Changes in weather can result in croaky vocal changes. It's happened to me a few times since spring even with my older laying girls!

 

[ravensnow]

I wanted to give an update. Opal is doing well.

Her comb ended up turning red as normal, and she lost the weird honking/raspy quality of her voice. She's officially over a year old, and she even kept laying eggs all winter long. She's much smaller (and less voluptuous) than her fellow Orpington sister, but she's happy and healthy.

I thank everyone here for offering their help and support. It was an incredibly worrisome time for me when I posted about my chicky's grey comb.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Thank you for the update. I'm glad your little hen is doing well.