Still no idea what’s going on with my hens comb and growing black spots

[Eggcessive]

Is her crop full first thing in the morning where it should be empty and flat?

 

[Eggcessive]

Is her crop full first thing in the morning where it should be empty and flat?

 

[Ohsrsly]

Is her crop full first thing in the morning where it should be empty and flat?

It doesn’t seem completely empty first thing in the morning, but is smaller than it was at night. At bedtime it seems very full, so I have been massaging it as part of her bedtime routine. But it’s still maybe half that size by morning.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Her crop always seems a bit full, but i don’t necessarily see symptoms of sour crop. Maybe just slow?

I sprayed her again for lice/mites and I also got Silver Honey for her wounds (I noticed her pulling at the area under her vent after treatment with iodine and ointment and I thought the bittering agent might help).

It doesn’t seem completely empty first thing in the morning, but is smaller than it was at night. At bedtime it seems very full, so I have been massaging it as part of her bedtime routine. But it’s still maybe half that size by morning.

If the crop is not emptying, then I'd continue to work on it. I think I'd first start with just giving coconut oil twice a day and see if that helps get things moving. The article below is what I use when treating my own flock, you may want to read that.

Does she have lice/mites, do you see them? What are you using to treat those?


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Ohsrsly]

If the crop is not emptying, then I'd continue to work on it. I think I'd first start with just giving coconut oil twice a day and see if that helps get things moving. The article below is what I use when treating my own flock, you may want to read that.

Does she have lice/mites, do you see them? What are you using to treat those?


https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

Im using permethrin (not sure if that’s the right spelling) for mites/lice. I did see what looked like potential lice last week- not severe just a few bugs (same day I found the additional scabs) and sprayed her then. I sprayed her again two days ago. I am not seeing anything moving around on her now.

Her crop doesn’t seem impacted, it is soft and squishy and huge at bedtime but still pretty large in the morning. Almost as if there’s fluid in there. But no “bubbly” sounds and no brown fluid coming from her beak.

 

[Eggcessive]

It is okay to massage a firm or doughy crop that may be impacted crop, but if the crop is puffy, massaging it could cause her to choke on crop contents coming back up into the throat. This article may help with treating her possibly sour crop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...w-to-know-which-one-youre-dealing-with.73607/

 

[Ohsrsly]

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock - I picked her up and she spit up crop contents on me, so I am treating for sour crop with monistat.

She is still slowed down but not lethargic- she seems to be awake most of the time and does walk around a bit. She eats and drinks, but is noticeably losing weight.

The scabs under her vent are so thick and heavy they make her high step. Should I try soaking her? These scabs are so dry and thick they feel like armor, even with daily ointment for over a week now.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Im using permethrin (not sure if that’s the right spelling) for mites/lice. I did see what looked like potential lice last week- not severe just a few bugs (same day I found the additional scabs) and sprayed her then. I sprayed her again two days ago. I am not seeing anything moving around on her now.

If you can, get some more photos of the what the scabs look like now.

Let me ask you something, I'm just asking questions, no accusations. I'm on a hunt here to see if there's a correlation between the scabs and the use of Permethrin. Just speculation on my part, I *think* I have seen similar in other older threads but need to track them down to see if the rabbit hole leads to anything.

Did you spray her with Permethrin or dip her?
What product did you use and if it needed to be diluted, what dilution did you use?
Did the scabs on her backside appear before or after treating with the Permethrin?
Any chance she was treated way back with Permethrin, then the first scabs on her comb/wattles appeared?
If you can give remember the timeline of the first scabs to now and what, if any treatment you administered may be helpful.

Let's see the photos. Soaking may help, it's hard to know. I'm thinking that she may need bathed in a dandruff type shampoo (the scabs) but can't say for sure as of yet. Can you tell if there's pus under the scabs?

Of course Kim (@Eggcessive ) may have better suggestions than me!

I know it's asking a lot and take your time getting the info. I still need to do some reading/research. I may be on the wrong track all together.

I agree with you on treating like Sour Crop.

@Eggcessive @Wyorp Rock - I picked her up and she spit up crop contents on me, so I am treating for sour crop with monistat.

She is still slowed down but not lethargic- she seems to be awake most of the time and does walk around a bit. She eats and drinks, but is noticeably losing weight.

The scabs under her vent are so thick and heavy they make her high step. Should I try soaking her? These scabs are so dry and thick they feel like armor, even with daily ointment for over a week now.

 

[Ohsrsly]

If you can, get some more photos of the what the scabs look like now.

Let me ask you something, I'm just asking questions, no accusations. I'm on a hunt here to see if there's a correlation between the scabs and the use of Permethrin. Just speculation on my part, I *think* I have seen similar in other older threads but need to track them down to see if the rabbit hole leads to anything.

Did you spray her with Permethrin or dip her?
What product did you use and if it needed to be diluted, what dilution did you use?
Did the scabs on her backside appear before or after treating with the Permethrin?
Any chance she was treated way back with Permethrin, then the first scabs on her comb/wattles appeared?
If you can give remember the timeline of the first scabs to now and what, if any treatment you administered may be helpful.

Let's see the photos. Soaking may help, it's hard to know. I'm thinking that she may need bathed in a dandruff type shampoo (the scabs) but can't say for sure as of yet. Can you tell if there's pus under the scabs?

Of course Kim (@Eggcessive ) may have better suggestions than me!

I know it's asking a lot and take your time getting the info. I still need to do some reading/research. I may be on the wrong track all together.

I agree with you on treating like Sour Crop.

I used a “horse fly spray” from Tractor Supply for the mite/lice spray. She had the scabs before I used the spray and they have t changed since using the spray. I actually noticed the couple of potential lice when I was treating the scabs.

She had never been treated for mites or lice before- she’s only 8 months old and I am sure I’ve never sprayed her before the other day (after the scabs)

I cannot tell what’s under the scabs, they are so thick and dry and adhered tightly to her skin.


I am not sure when scabs under her vent began- they were covered with feathers and I only discovered them recently when treating her for the comb and wattles scabs.

On her comb, the first sign of scabbing began as a few small spots about 4-6 weeks ago. I assumed they were peck marks. They got worse about 2-3 weeks ago but still not very alarming, she still looked mostly normal with a few spots on her comb and wattles and since everyone else was ok I didn’t think anything of it at the time. They then rapidly spread/progressed on her comb and wattles.

But I am totally unsure when her vent and crop area began developing scabs. On her crop there are just a few that are smaller but are brown with a yellow ring around them.

Under her vent they are extremely thick and heavy, the area feels full. I initially thought there might be an egg there but it’s been a week and she hasn’t laid in that whole week.

I will go out and try to get updated photos now.

the rest of the flock still has no signs of lesions.

 

[Eggcessive]

Were the crop contents she spit up foul smelling? Did you possibly accidentally press on the crop when you picked her up? Her scabs look pretty awful. Is she separated or with other chickens, and is she rubbing her skin on any fence wire? Could you try to get some 10% povidone iodine or Betadine to paint the scabs on her face, comb, and wattles? Walmart has a good buy with it called Equate First Aid Antiseptic for under $7:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-F...MIuIHmkNeSjwMVf2FHAR3aLQuyEAQYASABEgIM9_D_BwE