# Pale Comb - Something to worry about?



## WeeLittleChicken

One of my roosters, Turbo, seems to have a really pale comb today. I am not sure what's up with him, or if I should be worried but it's very pale in comparison to the other rooster, Achilles. His feet are pale too. (You can see as he's right behind the healthy looking Achilles here.)

No one else is showing signs of anything. I haven't caught any parasites on any of them and I use Diatomaceous Earth. We did have a heat wave but it broke two days ago. He seems to be eating and drinking just fine, maybe just a smidge slow today compared to usual (and what I mean by that is I could almost catch him - he's usually too much of a brat to let me come near him! SIGH.) I did loose one last week to what I think may have been Mericks. I have my fingers crossed that was a one off but it was the same group of birds. Is a pale comb a symptom of that?

He is in with two other roosters who are dominant over him so I was wondering if maybe that's just his way of showing he's the subordinate roo?? They get along just fine though - haven't had a single incidence with feather plucking or fighting - he just doesn't get any of the ladies is all. Hmmm

Here's the photo. He's the one staring into the watermelon.


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## Bee

He doesn't look any too healthy, to be sure. The purple tips on that comb don't look to good either. Could be internal parasites.... you could give him a dropper full of castor oil and see how he goes along.

Here's some info on other symptoms of Marek's :

http://birdhealth.com.au/flockbirds/poultry/diseases/mareks_disease.html


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## WeeLittleChicken

What does castor oil do? Looks like I will have to go find some... grocer is closed but I think WalMart might still be open...


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## Bee

It's an anti-helmintic...all natural and has been used for many a long year to rid humans of round worms out here in the hills.

http://skinverse.com/castor-oils-many-forgotten-uses-part-1-medicinal-values.html


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## WeeLittleChicken

OK... went to Wal-Mart, got there just in time to buy their last bottle. Lets see if it helps.


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## WeeLittleChicken

Also thanks for the tip!


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## Bee

YW! I certainly can't hurt...we'll see what happens. Let us know if any improvement?


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## WeeLittleChicken

Oh, I'll definitely stop by tomorrow to let you know what's up. Luckily it was dark out so he was easy to nab. He is very thin though. If he was any of the other chickens I would have picked up on this a lot sooner. The rest are handled a lot - they run out whenever I am out there for a quick cuddle. I don't know why Turbo is so anti-social. Always has been.... 

Anyway off for now. Night night.


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## WeeLittleChicken

Well he's a little pluckier this morning. He was none too pleased to have me mucking with him but I got him set up near his buddies in a bottomless rabbit cage so he can get to some grass and bugs if he wants. He spent the night indoors on some newspaper and I noticed he has _really_ watery stools. It looks like he dumped his water bowl but he didn't. I had this same problem many years ago when I was breeding cockateils. Spent a small fortune going to vets to figure it out but I never found an answer (and stopped breeding them because of it.) They called the symptom polyuria but that wasn't really a diagnosis. I have long suspected our water is funky and have tested it for all sorts of things to no avail. Right now I am wondering if there isn't some living organism in the water causing this. Has anyone ever heard of this??

In any event I gave him some blackstrap molasses to help with the anemia. I've yet to see an anemic animal not benefit from this home remedy. He's tepidly picking at a tomato now. I'll swing by this evening for an update. I guess it's possible with the watery stools he's just dehydrated. We'll see!


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## Bee

You might add a little mother vinegar to his water(can be found at Walmart..made by Heinz) to boost his immune system, add electrolytes and vitamins and also change his bowel culture. Can't hurt. 

It may take a little time to see if the effects of the castor oil will start to show...but I'm hoping you start to see some changes coming on.


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## fuzziebutt

Just and FYI - Castor Oil is also a fantastic laxative, so don't expect good stools for a while, He's also holding his wings down in the picture, so he just doesn't feel good. I would get him on an antibotic soon! And an electrolyte, or gatorade, or sugar water for some calories. Yogurt would really help if he has a funky organism in him, too, and it would be good for him. Good luck, he is a handsome fellow!!


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## WeeLittleChicken

Well he's still kicking. I was doubting he was going to make it yesterday but I pumped him full of molasses and electrolytes and his comb is now 50% what it should be colorwise and he's acting peppier, even eating the regular chicken food as well as the treats! Going to keep doing the same and hope he makes a comeback. I think it was just dehydration.... Like I said he has SEVERE polyuria. Looks like a cat pissed on the newspaper I put him on (just a normal plop of poop and a HUGE puddle of water around it.) Like I said this was a problem many years ago when I was keeping cockatiels. Same issue. I am contemplating buying bottled water... it's just too much of a coincidence to have cockatiels, cats, and now chickens with the same problem. (I brought the cockateils and cats to the vet MANY times, different vets, and got nowhere with it so now I am asking you chicken people! LoL)

Thanks for all the support. I will go pick up some mother vinegar (is it some sort of special vinegar? I've heard of apple vinegar but not mother...)


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## WeeLittleChicken

Sorry fuzziebutt, didn't see your post there. He does seem to be feeling better (or atleast acting better) but Seramas normally hold their wings in that weird position. See, here's a pic of Achilles, his buddy rooster posing out front. Little riots they are. I'll go give him some yogurt now..


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## Bee

WeeLittleChicken said:


> Well he's still kicking. I was doubting he was going to make it yesterday but I pumped him full of molasses and electrolytes and his comb is now 50% what it should be colorwise and he's acting peppier, even eating the regular chicken food as well as the treats! Going to keep doing the same and hope he makes a comeback. I think it was just dehydration.... Like I said he has SEVERE polyuria. Looks like a cat pissed on the newspaper I put him on (just a normal plop of poop and a HUGE puddle of water around it.) Like I said this was a problem many years ago when I was keeping cockatiels. Same issue. I am contemplating buying bottled water... it's just too much of a coincidence to have cockatiels, cats, and now chickens with the same problem. (I brought the cockateils and cats to the vet MANY times, different vets, and got nowhere with it so now I am asking you chicken people! LoL)
> 
> Thanks for all the support. I will go pick up some mother vinegar (is it some sort of special vinegar? I've heard of apple vinegar but not mother...)


Mother vinegar is apple cider vinegar that still has the vinegar yeast cultures intact in the solution..unpasteurized, unfiltered.


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## WeeLittleChicken

Cool, so in the grocery store? (I know I sound silly but I looked in the baking isle for Castor oil. Had no idea what it was and I confused it with Canola Oil. I was redirected to the pharmacy! )


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## Bee

Yes..you should be able to find it with all the other types of vinegar.


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## WeeLittleChicken

I am sorry to announce Turbo didn't make it. He was really fighting and for a while he improved so much I thought he was going to make a home run but the dehydration just got too much of him. I tried everything suggested and then some but it was a loosing battle. I have taken out another hen from his little flock who appears to have the same problem, though I caught her earlier. I will be posting a new thread about polyuria for her. Thank you everyone for your support. At least I know I gave it my best shot.


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## Bee

Yes. I'm wondering about your water..is it really hard water? The increased minerals in hard water could be affecting their kidneys and causing this abnormal function. 

I'm sorry your good looking boy didn't make it....if this happens again, it may be educational to open up the bird and have a looky loo inside to see if anything looks abnormal in there.


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## cedar100

Oyster shells


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## WeeLittleChicken

Hmm, yes, our water is unusually hard. It's the only water that I've come across that burns quite badly when you get it in your eye. I always supposed this was just the price of living in the area... I never considered doing my own necropsy. I had a vet do a cockatiel and a cat that had this issue (which was a colossal waste of money. SIGH.) I will keep that in mind if it happens again. For now I have switched at least that pen over to bottled water, will probably end up giving everyone bottled water if this ends up a persistent problem. :|


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## Bee

Yes...the water seems to be the issue. That's not good for your life either..even to bathe in it, as the skin is the largest organ in the body and absorbs quite well topically all chemicals to which we are exposed. 

I'm sorry. I sometimes take it for granted, our water and the waters I have had the good blessings to have had access to. I've only had bad water at one place and we hauled good water for drinking and cooking from my parent's home, so we side stepped that issue..but we still had to bathe in it. Ick. 

I hope you find a good resolution for this problem. 

FYI: though castor oil is a known laxative, none of my birds have shown diarrhea with the dosing of it...I'm thinking the dose is not large enough to disturb bowel action and the FF that I feed creates such a good bowel health that it is not easy to induce abnormal stools. Good bowel, good health!


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