Pullet with black bumps on comb and wattles

[SunnyDayz]

I have a white leghorn, almost 7 months old now. She has recently developed a couple black/dark bumps (about the size and texture of warts or freckles) on her comb and wattles. She has maybe 4-6 of these things. I tried to get a picture, but she is a true leghorn and hates posing for photos... let alone stopping for 2 seconds for me to look at her.

She is eating and drinking normally (always has been my 'snack-snatcher' she grabs food right from my hands and runs off, lol) poop looks normal, and she is very active. She gives me one perfect, strong-shelled white egg almost everyday. She is on layer crumble, oyster shell and extra grit~in addition to snacks and treats. The other chickens don't show any signs of these bumps.

What could it be?
Thank you

 

[BirdNut]

Sounds like a case of fowl pox to me. You need to determine whether or not it's a case of wet pox or dry pox, so that you know how serious it is. Wet po can kill, because you'll notice that the bumps invade the inside of her throat too. Sorry to tell you this, but you're going to need to manhandle the bird whether she likes it or not. You need to get a good look at her.

Wet pox is almost impossible to treat. If a thick discharge interferes with breathing, clear the airways with a cotton swab coated with iodine. Be sure to catch the pox while it's dry, before it gets to this stage. Dry pox is cured by simply ridding the coop of any flies or mosquitoes and separating the affected bird(s) from the rest of the birds.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ps044

Common poultry diseases with handy diagnosis charts at the bottom- sorry I don't have experience with this.

 

[SunnyDayz]

Tank you for your replies...
I read a little online and it does sound like fowl pox

Be sure to catch the pox while it's dry, before it gets to this stage. Dry pox is cured by simply ridding the coop of any flies or mosquitoes and separating the affected bird(s) from the rest of the birds.

Would it be necessary to quarantine her from the others at this point? I wonder if they have all been exposed if it is likely that they will get it too. I noticed a bump on her a few weeks ago, but thought it was just dirt.. she has probably had it now for 2+ weeks. I will quarantine her if needed, just gotta figure out how. I was able to get ahold of her and took a good look, just couldn't get a picture. They appear to be dry, not near her mouth or eyes.

Mosquitos are a big problem around here. I can get rid of the flies, but the mosquitos are extremely difficult. I can spray all around our property, we use dunks, even give the chickens garlic powder. The bugs are horrible! I will take any suggestions for mosquitos, as well as how to get rid of this virus. I'm afraid the others have already been exposed.
Will it affect humans? ... how about eating her eggs?​

 

[Sunny Side Up]

My birds & I also live in Florida, and there's been a lot of Fowl Pox that's gone through my flocks. It's always the youngest birds that get it, those under 1 year old, because those who have gone through the previous summer have had it & now have an immumity to it. I don't know if the dry form can turn into the wet form, or if it's two different viruses. But the wet pox has only shown up here once.

I don't quarantine the birds that have Fowl Pox, nor do I do anything to try & eradicate the mosquitoes besides slap the ones that land on my skin. I don't even do much to treat the lesions on the birds, just give them time to heal on their own. You can also dab liquid shoe polish on the lesions, it can help them heal faster.

 

[featherbaby]

I put clear iodine on each pox and have started putting Oxytetracycline in the water to prevent secondary infections. I am using Vita pro B supplements in their wet food treats to replace the good bacteria and give them a vitamin boost while they're healing from this. I get my advice and medicines from Peter Brown, aka The Chicken Doctor, at First State Vet Supply.com. He is wonderful and helpful and their medicines are reasonably priced. I'm told there's no cure for Fowl Pox and the only way it spreads is through infected mosquitos biting the individual chicken. Some of mine got it and others did not, in the same coop. I have Silkies aprox. 1 year old.

 

[Judy]

As far as I know, the dry form does not turn into the wet, they are two different conditions. Dry fowl pox went through my flock last year. I did dab the lesions once with betadine; I used neosporin on the ones right next to they eyes as it doesn't hurt if it gets in the eye. I did this because if a chicken has enough lesions she can get a secondary infection. This did happen with one hen, resulting in facial swelling. No one had wet pox.

They are immune after a round of this so I had none with it this year. If you only have a couple of small spots, I would just watch them.

It is also possible these are scabs from pecking.

 

[SunnyDayz]

Thanks for the replies!
I am pretty sure it is fowl pox. I got a hold of her again today and it is clearly not from pecking, and looks exactly like pics I've looked up about fowl pox. Boy, she is feisty though and seems to not be affected in the least! The others still don't have any sign of it. I suspect they may have already been exposed to it (perhaps have become immune) as they came from a friends farm a few months ago, and she has many more chickens that could've gone through the virus in the past.

I put vit. c and electrolites in the water today and gave them extra yummy greens and fresh fruit. I also gave them a little extra garlic on their crumbled hard boiled egg.
Does anyone know how much garlic can be used before it gives their eggs a taste? I don't mind garlic myself, but wouldn't want garlic taste showing up in my baked goods

 

[welasharon]

I am pretty sure I am now dealing with fowl pox too. Odd that it would manifest itself just as there are less mosquitos than we had all summer.

sharon

 

[SunnyDayz]

Update*
Peep is fully recovered... no more spots and all of the others are fine too, they never showed any sings of it

Yippee!