Comb and Wattles Looking Dry and Flaky

[HeatherKellyB]

What's going on with Mavis' comb and wattles? She's almost 8 months old. She eats Purina Flock Raiser with some Nutrena Hearty Hen mixed in. She has grit and oyster shell available. She does seem to be going through a light molt of her head feathers. She's been a little more moody with other birds, except for her flockmates, 3 other bantam pullets. Mavis is a tiny girl (although not exceptionally tiny to make me think she's sick) and has always been the petite one in her flock.

We have had some sudden cool temps (mid to upper 30s overnight but warms up to 50-60 during the day) but nothing else is different.

I'm sure that the appearance of her comb and wattles doesn't bother her at all, but I just wanted to make sure that I'm not missing something that needs treatment or attention.

Thank you for your time

 

[Eggcessive]

It just looks like dry skin to me, common during molting. You could ignore it or use a little cream or ointment on it. If it should become much worse, white and chaulky, there could be a possibility of favus, a fungal infection. In favus, miconazole or lotrimin are rubbed on the affected area. But I don’t think that is a problem.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

It just looks like dry skin to me, common during molting. You could ignore it or use a little cream or ointment on it. If it should become much worse, white and chaulky, there could be a possibility of favus, a fungal infection. In favus, miconazole or lotrimin are rubbed on the affected area. But I don’t think that is a problem.

Thank you for your time and reply. I'll keep an eye on her, and will treat if it begins to appear to be favus. (Something new I learned today. Thank you so much!)

Some of my birds have combs that are very smooth, soft, and somewhat shiny and others that have very textured rough and typically dry looking combs. Is it normal for comb texture to vary from bird to bird? I have been wondering this for many months now. The texture change to Mavis' comb almost makes her color look to be off at times whenever I look at her, so I figured it was time to ask. I feel confident that it's not her color now and agree with you. Molting could be causing her shorter fuse/bully like behavior or maybe she's just growing up and coming in to her personality. She hasn't tried to bully anyone older than her, so I just let her be. Her new favorite thing to do is to pick fights/pick on the cockerels (through their fence while she's free ranging) that were her flockmates before I had to separate them. My hens do this to my roosters as well, so if it's not a normal chicken thing, she's learned from the older girls Poor boys

 

[Eggcessive]

I think all of my chickens have some differences in their combs and skin. Most of mine are older though. Here are some scary pictures of advanced favus:
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/-/me...comb_chicken_2_crop_high.jpg?thn=0&sc_lang=en

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7a/1d/86/7a1d86c9822c4b701e33ba89346ca735.jpg

 

[GreedySeedFeedy]

I'm sure that the appearance of her comb and wattles doesn't bother her at all

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Oh my heart! That first bird looks so uncomfortable. I am just now learning about favus this evening, since reading your reply, but I still didn't know that it could spread down their heads like that. The texture on the comb in the 2nd picture looks like one of my rooster's, but the texture is the only similarity, thank goodness.
It's still probable that Mavis is experiencing dry skin, but with her head molting, it's certainly something to keep an eye on, just in case.
Thank you so much

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Hi @Eggcessive This is my nice intelligent ~he's not human aggressive like his bachelor Flock mates and I consider that intelligent ~. He's the head rooster and doesn't fight with the other boys. This just seemed to appear fairly quickly about 2 weeks ago. I've not done any treatment as it's difficult to get him & avoid the jerks he lives with. (I am working on building up the nerve to deal with the jerks but things have been hectic) This wound just doesn't appear to be in an area that I've seen injured on any of my boys and I can't imagine how he would get this. I'm thinking it's possibly favus. What do you think? The rest of his comb and wattles look fine. It's just that same area on both sides of his comb, with one side being worse. I did some reading on favus about it likely going away on it's own after around 10 weeks and that'd be great, but I'm happy to treat if it will make him more comfortable and/or help it possibly heal faster. So, do you feel like this guy is experiencing favus? I have a white frizzled bantam cochin cockerel (will be a rooster March 16th) that's had some dark solid matter just inside his ear for the past 6-9 months ( there's been no swelling & it's not been excessive by any means whatsoever but just making me ponder) and I've wondered if that has anything to do with this big guy's comb. They aren't housed together but they are right beside each other. In the past two weeks, I've noticed the bantam cochin having the feathers on his head get more and more thin but I didn't really consider it being related until now for some unknown reason Both of them seem to be acting completely normal with the exception of my big guy being more hungry (no change in weight but I am going to run fecal floats and worm if necessary). What do you think? Do you think I should start treating with something? What would you advise?

The pullet that I started this thread about months ago was just molting and she's doing well now. I figured it'd be best to keep relative information on one post but if I should make a separate one, please let me know and I'll be happy to do that. Thank you for everything!

@azygous @Wyorp Rock @aart @Eggcessive @JacinLarkwell anyone that has anything to add, please do so. I appreciate any and all input and will be so grateful for your time and knowledge.

I was expecting favus to involve a larger area but this hasn't really changed in size. I'll see if I still have pictures from a week ago and post them if I do. These pictures are from tonight.

One more thing, here in NC we've had so much rain! It's been record breaking amounts I believe but at least record matching rainfall. That would possibly worsen fungus, right?

I apologize for the length of this post. Even I think it's a bit ridiculous so forgive me. I believe all of the folks I tagged know how summary challenged I am

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'm not quite sure. Honestly just looks like a scab to me. My WFS would get those all the time from starting fights with males through thebfence

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I'm not quite sure. Honestly just looks like a scab to me. My WFS would get those all the time from starting fights with males through thebfence

Ok. So you have noticed scabs right where the comb attaches to the top of the head? My boys usually get scabs on their points so your reply makes me feel more at ease. Thank you so much. He's had me worried. It's bad enough anytime any of them are unwell but it's worse whenever it happens to the good ones. Thanks again

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Looks like injury/scab to me.
He's with other roosters right? Likely being picked while roosting.
You can try pine tar to see if that helps deter the picking, it will also be healing.
Otherwise, you may need to separate him out so he can heal on his own.