Black spots on comb???

[gigi005]

Hello! Newbie here to the forums and the chicken world, so bare with me if I'm asking a question that's been asked a million times...

My chickens have these black spots on their combs. Here's the info on them...

2 of 6 chickens have them bad, 2 of the others have one small spot on theirs.
I am not sure of the breed (black/brown chickens)
I'm not sure if they are still laying eggs because I don't know which chickens are giving me eggs. I am getting 4+ eggs a day.
They are 8 months old.
I think they've had the spots for up to a month, I just noticed this last week, my husband noticed several weeks ago and forgot to tell me

They are behaving normally and the poop looks normal.
I haven't treated them at all yet.
The coop missed its cleaning for a few weeks, once I saw this I cleaned it very thoroughly!
Bedding consists of pine shavings.
Their diet is corn mash and veggie leftovers.

Any ideas what this is? And more importantly, can we eat the eggs, they're stacking up fast!

thanks so much for any help!
lisa

 

[Falcon61]

Brown Leghorn, do they peck at each other a lot?

 

[Lorije1]

I am no expert

Do they free range at all? Maybe they are missing protein in their diet? Do you have crushed oyster shell out for them for calcium?

Like I said - not sure myself but those may be some questions you'll want to give info on as well

 

[BekahBear]

Quote:
i agree. they look like scabs on the comb from pecking at each other

 

[Alabama ee]

It might be dry pox. It is not as serious as wet pox. It usually goes away on its own..if it is that.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Maybe it's Fowl Pox. It can be transmitted by mosquitoes, are there many where you are? And it usually affects your younger birds, ones going through their first summer/mosquito season. Once they've gotten it they usually are able to fight it off by themselves and then form a lifelong immunity to it. I know an old experienced chicken keeper who says to dab black liquid shoe polish on the spots. You could do that, or just watch them for any other symptoms. If they're otherwise doing fine you could just leave them be and one day you'll notice that the spots are all gone.

If they had been pecking each other's combs I think you would find spots in varying stages of severity, some fresh & bloody, others scabbed over & healing.

Just my $.02

 

[speckledhen]

Sort of looks like the end stages of Fowl Pox to me, too.

 

[gigi005]

hmmm, I thought about Fowl Pox, if thats the case, can the eggs be eaten?

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, I'd think they'd be fine to eat.

 

[JCoogle]

Looks like Fowl Pox to me. Fowl Pox is not a fatal disease but keep your eye out for other illness. You can boost their immune system while they are showing the signs with antibotics unless you want to eat the eggs. Eventually the spots will go away and they will be immune to it like us and chicken pox.....lol