Health Issue - what is on our rooster's comb??

[Giddyup]

I've seen this before on our previous rooster...but as he died of illness I'm paranoid with this fellow. I've seen this on show birds??? Is it normal for roosters? - it looks like something wrong to me!

This guy is new to us, he had it when he came, I don't think it's getting better or worse, he's a lovely healthy bird in every other respect.

Any ideas? Thought about dabbing it with a vinegar/water mix just in case...

He's a black australorp cockeral that was in a breeding pen prior to living with us.

 

[chixrus]

that looks like mild frostbite. if it is, it'll go away. my rooster had the same thing and he had a pea comb for heaven's sakes!

 

[Attack Chicken]

It may just be sores from running around and stuff. My roo gets scraps to. If he's acting fine,eating, and drinking he should be fine.

 

[Giddyup]

The scabby spot looked like a scrape when I picked him up...it's the white stuff that concerns me more.

Frostbite is not usually an issue in our climate....but we did have a very unusual period this winter that was long and wellllll below freezing (especially for us wet west coasters).

What temp can cause frostbite?

I'll hope that is it and that it goes away. We made mistakes with (acquiring) our last (sick, bug infested) flock

and are starting over...I want healthy happy birds!!!

Thanks for looking

 

[gritsar]

In the first pic the black spots look more scabby, making me think fowl pox; BUT in the second pic they look more like normal scrapes and bumps.

 

[speckledhen]

My birds often get dry combs. If it was favus, a fungal infection, it'd be peeling and such. I dont see anything to make me too concerned. Put some bag balm or some olive oil or Vet Rx on the comb and rub it in to alleviate the dryness. Fowl pox would look almost like raised warts.

 

[vermontgal]

SpeckledHen, your further detail is very useful. I've never heard those details on either favus or fowl pox before. Is the source of your info personal experience, or is there a book you can refer me to? Thank you.

 

[cgmccary]

Keep in mind there are varying degrees of fowl pox from very mild to very severe. It could be a mild case of fowl pox and would be relatively harmless.

The fowl pox I have sen on a couple of my birds looked more like a blister at first and then formed something like you are looking at here.

Since mosquitos are the carriers of fowl pox and we have them in abundance here in Alabama, I now vaccinate my birds for it. However, prior to vaccinating, I'd never had anything other than a mild case.

 

[speckledhen]

The only bird I have ever bought and brought here, my rooster Hawkeye, had favus, so I'm quite familiar with that. And the fowl pox can be mild, but to me, in those pics, it seems to be just scrapes and gouges healing over. Fowl pox, the dry kind anyway, isnt a big issue, really. It goes away in two or three weeks.