Mites????

[MarlaMac]

Are they actual little bugs? I can't see them real clear, but if they are bugs, they look a whole lot like stick-tight fleas (aka poultry fleas). They burrow in like ticks so it is hard to see their heads. They are quite a bit smaller than a regular dog/cat flea.

This is stock photo a chicken with stick-tight fleas.

 

[sycamore hill chicks11111]

To me they don’t seem like bugs unless they are super unmoving and really burrowed in there. I kind of scratched at it and nothing came off and it just feels like part of her comb.

 

[sycamore hill chicks11111]

To me they don’t look quite like the photo but it’s not clear. I only noticed them today but Im not quite sure how long she’s had them. Definitely not for too long because I do pick them up and look at them regularly.

 

[sycamore hill chicks11111]

I did some more search and they don’t really look like them to me? To me the little dots really felt like part of her comb. I will check again in the morning to see if there’s any difference

 

[Eggcessive]

The dots could be fly or small insect bites. It doesn’t look like fowl pox.

 

[sycamore hill chicks11111]

that’s what I was thinking since they are so small and we have have a lot of biting flies around here.

 

[sycamore hill chicks11111]

If they are fly bites do I have to worry? I did some research and the dangerous flies seem to be buffalo gnats which I haven’t seen really, but I could of missed them. I feel like we mostly have deer flys which also do bite.

 

[MarlaMac]

Hmm i’m just very torn because I feel like if it was mites she would have it other places too?

Can you wash the spots off? I would get a cotton ball damp with some sort of oil and see if the spots will wash off with a gentle swabbing. If they do, then you probably got some sort of small scab that should resolve itself. If they wash off and are creepy crawly, then you have something else. If they don't wash off and are stubborn, then you have something else. If none of that worked, and if it were my chicken, I would probably take the tweezers to one and see what it did.

 

[sycamore hill chicks11111]

Can you wash the spots off? I would get a cotton ball damp with some sort of oil and see if the spots will wash off with a gentle swabbing. If they do, then you probably got some sort of small scab that should resolve itself. If they wash off and are creepy crawly, then you have something else. If they don't wash off and are stubborn, then you have something else. If none of that worked, and if it were my chicken, I would probably take the tweezers to one and see what it did.

I will do that tomorrow. I gently rubbed at them the other day and they didn’t budge at all, really just felt like part of her comb.

 

[MarlaMac]

I will do that tomorrow. I gently rubbed at them the other day and they didn’t budge at all, really just felt like part of her comb.

You are the one there with her. You know best and it is obvious that you want the best for her. If they are small little bites, you can use triple antibiotic (w/o pain reliever) as your "oil/ointment" on the swab. Won't hurt a thing and if they are small scabs, it might help with the healing.

Hoping the best for her and you.