White "powder" on comb

[Henrik Petersson]

Our cockerel has what appears to be a white powder covering roughly a quarter of his comb, from the head and up to the bottom of the tips. On this picture you can make it out, it's most obvious right above his eye:

What can it be? He was born in July and his comb hasn't been this big for a very long time, but he's had this "powder" for months.

It's a Swedish Black, so the comb is supposed to be all purple.

 

[ivan3]

Possibly cutaneous mycosis. You could try miconazole or nystatin cream.

 

[MoodyChicken]

More often than not it's just dust and dirt building up on his face. I have a roo with the same thing, it washes right off but comes back quickly cause he's always playin' in the dirt.

It is possibly a fungal infection or other skin problem, but dirty face is common too. Just watch him carefully.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Okay, thanks!

He also has scaly leg mites and we will treat him with an anti-bug ointment we bought the other day (it's called Tenutex, but I don't think you have it in the US? It's originally for curing lice in humans). I've read scaly leg mites can live on the comb. Could that be it?

 

[ivan3]

If you find them on his comb, take a picture (not their pref. location).

This is a pretty thorough `mite' review with the various treatments listed by chemical name (you can compare ingredients).

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/lvstk2/mf2387.pdf

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Thanks! Not really worried about the legs right now, though - the Tenutex should kill them

About the comb, this sounds very much like it: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1637/0005-2086(2007)51%5B618:CCARIA%5D2.0.CO%3B2

I'll look up those ointments. Do I just smear them on? I won't risk injuring the cockerel?

 

[ivan3]

Massage `em into comb once a day (just don't get in the eyes). Miconazole is also a treatment for athlete's foot and Nystatin cream is often used for diaper rash that is primarily fungal.

Ed: Cockerel should be fine (looks like it it should clear up in a week or so, if that it what it is)

Good luck!

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
Scaley Leg Mites can burrow into the skin of the face too. I would treat him with Ivermectin.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Quote:
So you think that could be what's causing the whiteness?

The Ivermectin, do you mean paste taken orally?

 

[MoodyChicken]

Quote:
So you think that could be what's causing the whiteness?

The Ivermectin, do you mean paste taken orally?

It could be. Wouldn't hurt to treat for it and rule it in or out.

Orally, it's a small dosage, but I'm not sure what it is. I would call your vet for claification. Given orally, it will taint the bird's blood so the mites will die from eating poisoned blood.