Black hard lesions all over pullet’s head

[k2panman]

We have Henski, a 5 month old Gold Laced Polish pullet that has a cough, has shook her head and slung snot, and has black, hard crusty growths on her waffles and around her eyes. She was walking around with her mouth open. She is part of our daytime free range flock (they have a luxury suite with almost daily maid service ( thanks to Terri the Coop Cleaning Fairy) with dust free pine shavings on a grass floor.

She has always eaten well - gobbling down a wet mash whenever offered (most days), and has a constant supply of pellets and fresh water in 5 gallon self feeders.

We noticed her sneezing and coughing, and think she’s the one with runny poo (no blood), but otherwise she runs around a lot as she always has. No others in the flock of 9 hens has been sick.

We noticed that all the girls have been drinking out of the wild bird spa - the wild birds drink and bathe in some lava rocks and a glass bowl we have in the yard.

We noticed her cough yesterday, so last night we captured her from the roost and separated her from the flock. We hadn’t noticed the black crusty growths until then.

We searched all over this island (Big Island, Hawai’i) and could not find antibiotics. We were recommended some VetRX by a feed store, so we got that and have spread it on all the growths and put a few drops down her throat twice today (Monday).

She doesn’t look or sound very good now. She’s in a 3’x3’x2’ cage. We’re not expecting her to make it.

Any ideas what the growths are, are they related to her respiratory problems?

 

[Cragg Klefor]

It looks like dry fowl pox, if you search this site you will find lots of info about it. I think the lesions will clear up eventually on their own, but others here are more experienced with this.
Do you know which respiratory condition you are dealing with?

 

[Cragg Klefor]

Have a look in her mouth, and you might like to read this article - see what you think?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ng-graphic-pictures-under-construction.47704/

 

[frostic]

She looks like she is being attacked by other chickens to me. when a chicken flock senses that a chicken is sick they will try to kill it. I believe these are injuries from your other chickens.. I have a chicken inside in my hospital atm because she got worms and the other chickens beat her up so bad she can't even walk hardly at all. First she got beat up, then i seen the worms in her poop. so i dewormed all my chickens. Now when she breathes it sounds like a slushy machine. my chicken may die too. I gave her antibiotics, but i believe shes not going to survive. Chickens are really mean to other sick chickens.

keep your chicken separated from the flock but where they can still see her.
Keep her warm and get her them antibiotics asap. take her to a vet asap.

 

[k2panman]

Thanks Cragg. I think that's what it is. We coated it all with VetRX and gave her several drops orally several times now. Her diarrhea is gone now, but she's breathing with her mouth open, and stretches out and makes a loud squawk occasionally. We see nothing unusual in her mouth. I've let her run with the other girls, since they are all free range all day. I may take her off the community roost and put her back into a little cage for the night.

Frostic, she is not being attacked by the others. She is down on the pecking order, but she's the fastest bird in the flock, and doesn't take any s*** from the others.

Also I have not found anywhere that I can get antibiotics, and the only vet is as far on the other side of the island that you can get from us. I want to get some meds and keep them around for future use, but not sure where to get them. I'll have to do more poking around here.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree with Cragg that you are dealing with fowl pox. I would not touch the scabs, since you canspread the pox virus if the scabs are disturbed. It is a disease spread by mosquitoes, and dried up scabs are infectious.
It also sounds like there is a respiratory disease, such as MG (mycoplasma,) coryza, ILT, or infectious bronchitis. If you can locate some Tylan 50 injectable, Tylan Soluble Powder for the water, or tetracycline for the water from a place that treats cattle or a vet, those can treat mycoplasma. If it stinks, it may be coryza which is better treated with sulfa drugs, such as SMP-TMZ, Albon, and sulfadimethoxine. Here is a good link to read about some of those common diseases:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

 

[Wyorp Rock]

5 month old Gold Laced Polish pullet that has a cough, has shook her head and slung snot, and has black, hard crusty growths on her waffles and around her eyes. She was walking around with her mouth open.

I agree the scabs look like Fowl Pox. What does the inside of her beak look like?

 

[k2panman]

Thanks Eggcessive. Good info at that link. Inside her beak and down her throat nothing looked unusual, just light colored membranes.

 

[Cragg Klefor]

The poor thing is having a hard time of it. Do you have any poultry vitamins? I would give her some to help her little immune system, it's taking a beating!

Did you manage to determine which respiratory illness she is suffering from by reading Eggcessives link? If not let us know and we will help you, that will need to be treated.

This little pullet is teaching you a lot, she's a lovely little thing by the way!

Both the Pox and Respiratory disease are contagious to the other birds, but they unfortunately will have been exposed to it anyway. Keep an eye on your flock, catching these things (Respiratory disease) in the beginning can make a big difference.

 

[k2panman]

I really can't tell which respiratory illness she has, and I haven't been able to find any antibiotics on our island. I'll check again tomorrow, but can anyone tell me if I can get some mail order, and do I need a vet to write a prescription? Seems I've bought antibiotics for cattle long ago and didn't need a vet.