What do my chickens have??? black spots on combs!

[rynegold]

What does my roo have? Some hens have comb spots as well but nothing this severe. His eyes are swollen/glued shut in the mornings and we have to get'em un-glued so's he can see to eat and drink. He's weak, but is eating and drinking.... and gets on the roost. So what is this? and will it go away on it's own or should we be giving them something?

Slideshow on flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19089828@N00/sets/72157628121944334/show/

 

[foxypoproxy]

Quote:
I think he has fowl pox.
There is the dry kind (spots and scabs on the combs and wattles).
And the wet kind which can be fatal. It creates lesions in the respiratory system (throat, nostrils, etc).
Those lesions make it hard for them to eat, drink and breath.
He could suffocate from the cheesy puss and lesions.
My hen had fowl pox.....but luckily only the dry kind.

Fowl pox is a virus given by mosquito's.
There isn't really a cure or treatment, but if they do get over it, they are immune for life.

I'm so sorry you and your rooster are going through this

Make sure he keeps eating and drinking.
I heard you can put iodine on the lesions but idk about in the throat and eye area's.
I hope he gets better soon!

here is a avian/fowl pox link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-diseases-AvianPox.html

 

[nurse_turtle]

That's a rather severe case of fowl pox.

 

[Jobele]

Okay.....it's called "Fowl Pox" and it looks like yours has the wet version (there's the dry and wet versions of it). What I have found that helps is the get "Preparation H" and put on the comb and wattles. Make sure that you don't get it in his eyes though. Don't put big globs of it....just a thin coating. What it will do is take down some of the swelling and dry the wet kind up somewhat. He will be more comfortable at least. I would put it on at night while the bird is still and roosting. That gives it all night long to do its magic! Little strange....but DOES help!

 

[Sunrisefarm]

I'm pretty sure I have the same thing in some of my chickens. BLACK lesions on comb, eyes glued, face swollen and in some cases the mouth and/or throat seems sore.

My vet examined them. Did not know what it was. She's not an expert on chickens, but pretty good. She sent pics to some chicken vets and they were unsure as well. One of my sickest birds was sacrificed for Texas A&M to do a marvelous. I should have those results on Tuesday or Wednesday. I will contact you with the info.

It seems to me the lesions are fowl pox. The eyes and swelling may be a secondary infection or a mutation of the pox virus. That's just my guess and since I'm almost always wrong about these matters...

My vet does have us treating all birds with antibiotic in their water. As a prophylactic against anything bacterial.

 

[Sunrisefarm]

Hi - I have some chickens with what I suspect to have a pretty virulent strain of avain pox. In addition to the lesions the have pretty severe eye crusting and, in some birds, the mouth seems to be sore. In some cases it seems the eye crusting is the first apparent symptom. Based on a chicken I sold about 10 day ago just coming down with the crusty eye, the incubation period has to be pretty long. Another thing that makes me think it's pox is that birds in separated pens have been affected. Since pox is spread by mosquitos, and we finally got some drought relieving rains, and resultant mosquitoes... What would your opinion be?

 

[davemonkey]

Hi - I have some chickens with what I suspect to have a pretty virulent strain of avain pox. In addition to the lesions the have pretty severe eye crusting and, in some birds, the mouth seems to be sore. In some cases it seems the eye crusting is the first apparent symptom. Based on a chicken I sold about 10 day ago just coming down with the crusty eye, the incubation period has to be pretty long. Another thing that makes me think it's pox is that birds in separated pens have been affected. Since pox is spread by mosquitos, and we finally got some drought relieving rains, and resultant mosquitoes... What would your opinion be?

Sounds like the "wet" form of pox. This form can be fatal I some cases due to the symptoms making it difficult to eat and breathe, but not always. On the bright side, if the chicken makes it through, it will be immune for the remainder of its life.

As the poster above you mentioned, treating with antibiotics can help to prevent secondary bacterial infections and MAYBE speed up recovery. But they won't do anything for the virus.