If your hen goes broody then the bird’s behavior will change, for the worse.
Broody hens will be more aggressive and will peck at you, not only this, but your broody hen may also develop a pale comb, this article looks into why this happens and what to do.
Broody hen pale comb:
Your chicken’s behavior and appearance are indicators of the bird’s health.
A pale comb usually means that the bird is unwell, but, a pale comb can also mean that the bird is broody. If a bird is broody then its comb may even shrink down to the size it was when the bird was a pullet.
When birds go broody they do not lay any eggs, their attention is focused on incubating and hatching chicks.
If your bird’s comb is plump but pale, and she is broody, then this simply means that she is off lay and is busy brooding. As long as the bird isn’t showing any signs of being ill, then the bird should be fine once she gets out of her broody state.
What to do:
This is normal behavior and you only have to worry about the bird if she is broody for an extended period of time.
A chicken being broody for an extended period of time is not good for the bird. It’s normal and natural for chickens to be broody for about 21 days but chickens can be broody for weeks on end, this isn’t safe.
Broody hens don’t take care of themselves, they eat 80% less food than they’re supposed to. If the bird is broody for long periods of time then you’d need to de-broody her to keep her from becoming malnourished.
Get her out of her broody state by placing her in a wire cage raised off of the ground.
Placing her in this cage will allow cool air to circulate around her tummy which she keeps warm when brooding. Doing this will cool her body temperature and get her out of her broody state.
If the bird isn’t broody anymore, but her comb is still pale, then you’d need to check her for lice and mites. Parasites like lice and mites cause anemia in chickens and this causes their combs to turn pale.
If you notice other signs of the bird being ill, if the bird’s comb is dry, shriveled, flaky, blueish, or has white or black spots on it, then the bird may be ill.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Broody Hen Pecking Chicks, Broody Hen Rejecting Chicks, Broody Hen Attacking Chicks, Can Chickens Drink Salt Water?, Broody Hen Eating Eggs