Spots on wattles/ comb

[Wyorp Rock]

Hi- I wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I was nervous it was something worse, but the antibiotic ointment helped heal her comb and wattles quickly. She is doing well

Glad to hear she's healed up!

Thank you for the update

 

[DrDrumstick]

Hello, I have a chicken that has some yellow crusty spots on her wattles and comb. I have 6 other chickens and none of them have these spots, except one, that only has a very small part of the tip of her comb looking yellow. I live in Central NY and the weather for the past month or so has seen extreme cold temperatures, with wind chills -32 somedays. Is this frost bit or scabs from fighting, or something worse like dry fowl pox or favus?

What you’re seeing on the comb and wattles is really common in extreme cold, especially with wind chills like you’ve had. Yellow crusty patches can come from a few different things, but in your situation frostbite is the most likely cause.

A few things to look for:

• Frostbite starts pale or yellowish, then darkens as the tissue dries.
• Fighting scabs are usually darker and more localized, not spread across multiple areas.
• Dry fowl pox makes raised, wart‑like lesions, not flat yellow patches.
• Favus looks like white, powdery patches, almost like someone dusted flour on the comb.


Based on your description and the weather you’ve had, this looks like cold damage, not disease.

A few things that help prevent it from getting worse:

• Make sure the coop has good ventilation up high so moisture escapes.
• Keep bedding dry — humidity is the real enemy.
• Avoid ointments or petroleum products — they trap moisture and can make frostbite worse.
• Let the damaged areas dry and heal on their own unless you see swelling, infection, or spreading.


If you want, post a couple more pictures in natural light and I can help you gauge whether it’s mild or something that needs closer attention.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What you’re seeing on the comb and wattles is really common in extreme cold, especially with wind chills like you’ve had. Yellow crusty patches can come from a few different things, but in your situation frostbite is the most likely cause.

A few things to look for:

• Frostbite starts pale or yellowish, then darkens as the tissue dries.
• Fighting scabs are usually darker and more localized, not spread across multiple areas.
• Dry fowl pox makes raised, wart‑like lesions, not flat yellow patches.
• Favus looks like white, powdery patches, almost like someone dusted flour on the comb.


Based on your description and the weather you’ve had, this looks like cold damage, not disease.

A few things that help prevent it from getting worse:

• Make sure the coop has good ventilation up high so moisture escapes.
• Keep bedding dry — humidity is the real enemy.
• Avoid ointments or petroleum products — they trap moisture and can make frostbite worse.
• Let the damaged areas dry and heal on their own unless you see swelling, infection, or spreading.


If you want, post a couple more pictures in natural light and I can help you gauge whether it’s mild or something that needs closer attention.

@DrDrumstick Welcome To BYC!

The OP (Original Poster) posted an update for this thread in Post#10 last month. The issue has been resolved.

Hi- I wanted to thank everyone for the advice! I was nervous it was something worse, but the antibiotic ointment helped heal her comb and wattles quickly. She is doing well