Comb Fungus?

[niccichick]

Hi
When I went out to feed my girls this morning I found Suzy with weird stuff all over her comb. Looks like small white fuzzy dots and black dots, almost like a fungus. Anyone recognize this and know how to treat it. Afew of the others seem to have a bit of it on their combs as well.

Thanks,


NIcci

 

[sourland]

I can't get your picture to enlarge for a better look. Do a search on 'favus' and see if it looks like that. Some have posted that they have used Monistat to cure their chickens combs.

 

[casportpony]

From what I can see, it looks like dry pox, but that might be because I'm dealing with pox right now, so *everything" looks like pox to me, lol. Check the eyes, mouth, vent and legs, 'cause they can get it there, too. If you're curious, I have started a thread that has lots of *graphic* pictures of my most seriously affected birds: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/818895/wet-and-dry-fowl-pox-pictures

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044
Fowl Pox
Synonyms : chicken pox (not to be confused with chicken pox in humans; the human disease does not affect poultry and vice versa), sore head, avian diphtheria, bird pox
Species affected : Most poultry -- chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks, psittacine, and ratites -- of all ages are susceptible.
Clinical signs : There are two forms of fowl pox. The dry form is characterized by raised, wart-like lesions on unfeathered areas (head, legs, vent, etc.). The lesions heal in about 2 weeks. If the scab is removed before healing is complete, the surface beneath is raw and bleeding. Unthriftiness and retarded growth are typical symptoms of fowl pox. In laying hens, infection results in a transient decline in egg production (see Table 1 ).
In the wet form there are canker-like lesions in the mouth, pharynx, larynx, and trachea. The wet form may cause respiratory distress by obstructing the upper air passages. Chickens may be affected with either or both forms of fowl pox at one time.
Transmission : Fowl pox is transmitted by direct contact between infected and susceptible birds or by mosquitos. Virus-containing scabs also can be sloughed from affected birds and serve as a source of infection. The virus can enter the blood stream through the eye, skin wounds, or respiratory tract. Mosquitos become infected from feeding on birds with fowl pox in their blood stream. There is some evidence that the mosquito remains infective for life. Mosquitos are the primary reservoir and spreaders of fowl pox on poultry ranges. Several species of mosquito can transmit fowl pox. Often mosquitos winter-over in poultry houses so, outbreaks can occur during winter and early spring.
Treatment : No treatment is available. However, fowl pox is relatively slow-spreading. Thus, it is possible to vaccinate to stop an outbreak. The wing-web vaccination method is used for chickens and the thigh-stick method for turkeys older than 8 weeks.
Prevention: Fowl pox outbreaks in poultry confined to houses can be controlled by spraying to kill mosquitos. However, if fowl pox is endemic in the area, vaccination is recommended. Do not vaccinate unless the disease becomes a problem on a farm or in the area. Refer to the publication PS-36 (Vaccination of Small Poultry Flocks) for more information on fowl pox vaccinations.

 

[dawg53]

I used my magnifying glass to look at the pic....it appears to be fowl pox. However the white patch on the earlobe could possibly be favus...tough to tell without an enlarged pic.

 

[casportpony]

I used my magnifying glass to look at the pic....it appears to be fowl pox. However the white patch on the earlobe could possibly be favus...tough to tell without an enlarged pic.

Good catch, I hadn't noticed that, I just honed in on the comb and wattles.

-Kathy

 

[xxadrixx]

very hard to see the pic but it looks like when my girls got fowl pox, at the same time I had a mite infestation so I thought it was related so I was treating for the wrong thing. Here is a link to my https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...faces-northern-fowl-mite-infestation-help-pls thread when I had the issue, once I realized it was pox I updated what I did based on a lot of research and advice from these forums and I saved one of my 2hens. the other I had taken to the vet and she couldn't help me so they put her down, I'm really upset that I listened to the "poultry vet" because I may have been able to save her if I brought her home and did what I did with my other hen. If it is pox you are in for a ride...most people just cull but I don't have the heart for it, you can treat their symptoms and the best thing is it is like chicken pox once they get it they wont get it again and vaccines are very reasonable for the rest of your flock but hurry and separate the infected ones. good luck to you!

 

[niccichick]

Thanks so much everyone. I'll check out both pox link and favus and see what is bet to treat her. Only 3 of my other girls show any signs of same thing on a much smaller scale. I got iodine to put on the pox and will determine what it is and treat. I appreciate the help.

Blessings,
NIcci

 

[xxadrixx]

Any chAnges? O also I forgot to add my girls were scratching at the pox trying to flake them off...& they did (more toward the end of the healing process). It may be somethinv to look for, I'm not sure if favus would make them itchy. Hope things are going okay for ur ladies!

 

[niccichick]

My girls are finally all getting better. They all ended up infected, crusty, and looked miserable but had great energy and did not seem bothered a bit by it. We swabbed each of them all over their combs and legs with beta dine and that helped greatly in the healing process. Right now they all have the pox flaking off and are looking much better. They are molting on top of it all so they look pretty pathetic right now; all balding and scabby but eat like nothing else and run about clucking happily all day long. They all stopped laying when the pox hit and have not laid a single egg in weeks. I am assuming they will start again once their molt is finished and they are all healed up from the pox. Thanks for all the encouragement and help with answers.