What could this be?!?!?

[katycouts]

I’ve noticed that most of my chickens have black spots on their combs. We were kind of thinking fowl pox. Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[Eggcessive]

What is your general location? Do you have mosquitoes out right now? Can you post some pictures of the spots? Welcome to BYC.

 

[katycouts]

I live in TX. Here are some pics

 

[Chicken poppy]

Looks like dry fowl pox. Don’t get anymore chickens for now to avoid them getting the virus. They should be fine and it should go away shortly.

Also, very pretty chickens you got! Just to be safe, look inside the mouth and see if you see anything weird.

 

[katycouts]

Looks like dry fowl pox. Don’t get anymore chickens for now to avoid them getting the virus. They should be fine and it should go away shortly.

Also, very pretty chickens you got! Just to be safe, look inside the mouth and see if you see anything weird.

That’s what we thought from research but wanted to make sure. Is it safe to eat the eggs if they aren’t on any medication? They seem normal and happy I’ve just noticed a slow down in eggs. Not sure if it’s because they are fighting the virus or because we got a cold front here.

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes that is fowl pox. It is a virus careied by mosquitoes. It lasts about a month or so. Most chickens recover fine, but it can cause a decrease in laying. No treatment is needed. Some apply Betadine to scabs. The eggs are perfectly safe to eat. I would not hatch or add chicks until next spring, since chicks are more severely affected. Shed scabs can remain infectious for months. Here is a good article with more info:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/fowl-pox-prevention-treatmen/

 

[Chicken poppy]

That’s what we thought from research but wanted to make sure. Is it safe to eat the eggs if they aren’t on any medication? They seem normal and happy I’ve just noticed a slow down in eggs. Not sure if it’s because they are fighting the virus or because we got a cold front here.

Yes, eggs are fine. I had it similar to yours in my flock and everyone recovered fine within about 2 weeks.