Black specs on crop and wattles

[Socalhen78]

One of my females has been lethargic and not well for a few weeks, a few days ago I bought a antibiotic and wazine dewormer. Today I noticed these black specs on her comb, when I scrap with my nail they come off leaving small holes, is this embedded dirt or vermin????? She's the only one that has this and it makes me suspicious

 

[HugHess]

Researching Fowl Pox might help in deducing her problem...

 

[iwiw60]

Sounds like she may well have fowl pox...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/avian-pox-how-to-treat-your-chickens-for-avian-pox

 

[Eggcessive]

How old is she? Coccidiosis is always something to consider if they are lethargic--other symptoms are puffing up or hunching, diarrhea with or without blood, ruffled feathers, pale color, and poor appetite. Can you check her all over for mites and lice? Some mites only come on at night, so you may have to check then. Permethrin garden dust and Sevin dust are good treatments if you see lice, mites, or eggs. Here is a good link on lice and mites with pictures: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/8162.pdf

 

[Nambroth]

Do the black spots seem more like scabs, or crusty lesions? It could have been fowl pox, or it could have been simple scabs from minor wounds. My birds get comb scabs when they bustle though prickly foliage, but most often when they have minor disagreements with each other. Is this hen lower in flock status? She may also have been picked on if she has been unwell or lethargic.

How old is she? A good rule of thumb is to always take care of the "easy" problems first, as they are the most common. Mites, lice, worms, Cocci, egg problems (is she laying?).

 

[Socalhen78]

She is the head of the flock, and 2 years old and she hasn't been laying for a several weeks but as of the last week she has been lethargic, no diarrhea, eating and drinking some, I checked for lice and mites and didn't see any although she is black feathered so it's a bit harder, we live in so cal and it's hot lately .... our yard is dirt with some plants and trees, I though it was mites on her comb because they r embedded in her comb and wattles, I can pick them off but they seem small to be mites, with our dirt backyard they dust bath daily! And she is the only one with these symptoms ...I'm stumped

 

[Socalhen78]

Oh an in addition the black specks are not pox like, the just look like embedded dirt or a type of embedded particle of some kind...

 

[Nambroth]

Is she a black star / black sexlink? Around 2-3 years old is prime time for sex links and other production hens to develop reproductive issues. I am mentioning this since you said she has also stopped laying. Possibilities include Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Internal Laying, Ovarian/Uterine cancer, etc. I am not trying to diagnose her, but mention potential problems. I regret that a lot of people see these issues in 2-3 year old sex links. I just lost mine recently to ovarian cancer.

Is it possible for her to see a vet (I understand if not)? Can you examine her gently, does her lower abdomen feel very 'full', or have any hard masses inside? Does she seem like an overfull water balloon at all? You have checked her for egg binding?

There is also no chance she can be suffering from heat stroke or exhaustion right? Lots of cool water and shade? Sometimes it can be a combination of factors and the heat pushes things over the edge.

 

[Socalhen78]

We have lots of shade,the girls hang out under our flat bed trailer during the day so I place good and water nearby, they also hVe shade from trees and plants, I've checked her for eggs, she is very mushy and I don't feel any masses or hard areas, unfortunately the vet nearby has NO iDEA what it could be and wants several hundred dollars for various tests :/ so I am trying to diag myself