Is this a problem?

[SkyWarrior]

I got four roosters from someone who wasn't willing to feed them during the winter. These birds look healthy, if a bit thin, but I was noticing they all had some black marking on their combs. They were free ranged:

They're not acting sick and don't appear to have lice or anything.

 

[NonnasBabies]

Does it look like sores?? My head roo gives my younger one hell. Chases him all over the run until I let them out. I think he's gotten to him a few time cause he's got a few dark places on this comb just like yours. I was thinking they were sores!! At least that's what they look like to me!

Missi

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I know this sounds stupid, but all my other birds don't have sores. Maybe because they don't get free ranged? (we have lots of predators). I also don't have any fighting that I know of, but maybe that's what this is.

 

[gryeyes]

Could it be dry pox? Not that I know anything about it, at all, but I was in a PM exchange a couple of months ago with someone who was treating his flock for it, and he mentioned black specks/spots on the combs.

(Don't want to scare you, Sky. Just don't want anything bad to miss examination.)

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

They look like sores to me. I have three leghorn hens in my flock and they look like this.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

It also looks like sores to me. If they gave you 4 roosters it could be from fighting over hens. Just put some good antibiotic ointment on them for a few days and see if it clears up. You might need to separate them if they are fighting.

 

[SilverPhoenix]

I don't think it's fowl pox, it just looks like sores to me. The roosters were probably fighting with one another and caused those marks on the combs. They should go away with time, I wouldn't worry!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I thought of this too, but according to the books I've read, usually the birds act sick as well and are off their feed. These birds are eating like horses and demolished about 10 lbs of layer pellets in the past 24 hours.

We both transported them in dog crates. Hers was a bit smaller than mine. There was some blood on the feathers, but the former owner claimed it wasn't from them fighting but probably from her loading them up.

 

[jaimslee4u]

Easily could have been a peck from another bird... Funny thing it almost looks like frost bite they get in the winter. I would try an antibiotic cream on it.

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Those are scabs from another bird pecking/grabbing their comb. Free ranged roosters will fight on, even when they've been together a long time and that is exactly what it looks like. He should heal up nicely with no intervention.