Black on tips of comb...

[kimmybow]

My girl Ozzy has black on the tips of her comb. She has had this for a long time, before the cold weather. No one else has had this (5 other hens) until recently - now one other hen has the same thing. Don't think it's frostbite, because it's been around since before the cold weather. Thought is was dirt originally. Here is a pic:

Sorry it's sideways - still trying to figure out the new phone

So what is this?

Thanks, all those who have gone before!

 

[kari_dawn]

maybe a fungus of some sort

doesn't exactly look like dry pox...it looks like it is sitting on top of her skin...does it rub off?

 

[kimmybow]

Well, I wonder if it is a fungus. If you look closely, you can see that some of the skin came off - there is a raw area on one of the tips. I haven't cheked to see if it comes off, but I don't think so - I pick up my girls all the time and it doesn't look like it wipes off. Has gotten worse since I first noticed it a couple of months ago. Very slowly, but it has gotten worse. Now another hen seems to have it. It looks as tho it's creeping around to the beak area :-(

Can I use Tinactin or lotrimin for this? Or maybe an antibiotic ointment?

 

[kimmybow]

BTW - the inside of their coop has always been dry - I keep on top of it. I am thinking that maybe fungus is correct because I put some hay in their enclosure and it's kind of wet and yucky. I think I need to get it out of there. It was an experiment :-/

 

[nurse_turtle]

It doesn't look like fungus to me. It looks like she's been picked on at one time or another. Once a chicken is picked on, the chickens will continue to pick at a scab or any tiny spot that looks out of place. If it's truly not frostbite, I believe it to be pecking. How many chickens in what size coop and run?

 

[kimmybow]

Well, that's possible - she is low on the totem pole. Always has been. 6 hens, good sized coop. Enclosure not huge, but they free range some part of every day. So maybe the other one who looks like she's getting it is also being pecked at...