Black spots on my chickens combs

[Jenn Clark]

...

I cannot see it too clearly, it's looking more pox like, usually when they get pox it is also on the face and sometimes the eyes swell and crust shut, I had it on my turkeys this year, I have never had it on my chickens though, it's just large crusty circles about the size of a pencil eraser that's called dry pox, if it's in the mouth and throat it's wet pox, that one is worse because they have trouble eating and drinking.[/quote

 

[Jenn Clark]

...

I cannot see it too clearly, it's looking more pox like, usually when they get pox it is also on the face and sometimes the eyes swell and crust shut, I had it on my turkeys this year, I have never had it on my chickens though, it's just large crusty circles about the size of a pencil eraser that's called dry pox, if it's in the mouth and throat it's wet pox, that one is worse because they have trouble eating and drinking.[/quote

Sorry-should I just let it run its course or is there something I can out on it. There are no other signs that you mentioned.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If it is the pox it's a virus and there's no treatment. Antibiotics can be given if there seem to be other things going on caused by any stress, it won't do anything to the pox, it would be considered supportive therapy.

 

[Mr Beaks]

You could treat lesions with an antibiotic ointment (without pain reliever) or an iodine solution but this could potentially spread pox to other areas where there are none if not careful.

 

[Mr Beaks]

Most folks I know just let them be. As oldhenlikesdogs stated, it is indeed a virus that simply needs to run its course.

 

[kcw0525]

New here! Sorry if I'm interrupting any other discussion. I was feeding my 10 week old chickens today and noticed that my only Easter Egger, Lucy, had a rather large black spot on her comb.

Now, I have noticed a few smaller specks on our Blue Andalusian Roo's comb, but I was assuming that it was pecking or fighting, being that he seems to be the top male in our coop. And I'm not going to lie, I have seen Lucy being rough with others as well, but I'm worried about how big this spot is. Should I be worried? Or is it just pecking/fighting?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

New here! Sorry if I'm interrupting any other discussion. I was feeding my 10 week old chickens today and noticed that my only Easter Egger, Lucy, had a rather large black spot on her comb. Now, I have noticed a few smaller specks on our Blue Andalusian Roo's comb, but I was assuming that it was pecking or fighting, being that he seems to be the top male in our coop. And I'm not going to lie, I have seen Lucy being rough with others as well, but I'm worried about how big this spot is. Should I be worried? Or is it just pecking/fighting?

those look like wounds, probably from the pecking you were describing.

 

[kcw0525]

So I'm pretty sure my chickens have fowl pox, dry, because they have lesions all over their eyes and waddles and combs. Not all of them have it, but some do. We have 21 total. Several of them are bad, like swollen eyes as well as bubbles and pus in the eyes. They don't seem to be listless and we are pretty sure they are all eating and drinking. We started giving them duramycin (sp?) last Friday, so they've been on it for a week and a day now. We've also been spraying their eyes with an animal friendly saline solution and applying neosporin to the lesions. We keep thinking they are getting better, but then one or two of them seem to get worse. Last night, my husband was checking on them and it looked like one of our Cochins either scratched his eye too much or someone pecked at him, but it looks like he may have lost his eye. Is there anything we should do, aside from what we are doing? We are considering injecting Tylan but are worried about the side effects that linger in meat birds. We also suspect infectious coryza, but they don't have any nasal discharge, putrid smell, or problems breathing. We just suspect this because of the runny, bubbly eyes.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any treatments won't help treat the pox, it takes a good 3-6 weeks to run it's course, I had some turkeys I though for sure had no eyes either but eventually they healed and were able to open them again, it can look pretty nasty and seems to be hit and miss on who gets it, I would separate anyone being pecked, otherwise it's just waiting it out.

 

[kcw0525]

Any treatments won't help treat the pox, it takes a good 3-6 weeks to run it's course, I had some turkeys I though for sure had no eyes either but eventually they healed and were able to open them again, it can look pretty nasty and seems to be hit and miss on who gets it, I would separate anyone being pecked, otherwise it's just waiting it out.

But from what I described, we should just keep doing what we're doing?