Avian pox? Black spot and swelling wattle on 5.5 month Orpington

[knownothinghomesteader]

Hi there. We have 3 Lavender Orpingtons, 5.5 months old, and their combs have always had a little discoloration (grayish blackish sootiness on the ends) compared with, say, our Marans. Several days ago I noticed a black spot on the wattle of one of them and yesterday it was visibly swollen and comb drooping to one side. Dry avian pox or what? What to do? Thanks!

First 2 photos of affected chicken and one of the rooster for comparison.

Chicken newbie here...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Could be pox if you have mosquitoes out already where you are at. Also could be peck wounds from fighting. Either way I'd leave them alone personally.

 

[knownothinghomesteader]

Could be pox if you have mosquitoes out already where you are at. Also could be peck wounds from fighting. Either way I'd leave them alone personally.

thank you! yes, hawaii. leave alone as in do nothing?

 

[orelsi]

I can't tell if it's a dry fowl pox scab or a peck wound. The dry pox usually starts with small yellow-ish bumps/blisters and progresses to dark brown/black scabs in a few weeks. Have you noticed blisters?

Either way, there is no specific cure for dry fowl pox and hens usually recover quite successfully on their own from the dry version. The scabs fall of in a month on their own.

Have you noticed any other symptoms? Diarrhea, listless behaviour, weird stance, bad smell from mouth? Is she eating normally? Is she behaving normally - scratching, running around, singing? Anything that seems out of the ordinary might be important.

Take a better pic, if you can.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

thank you! yes, hawaii. leave alone as in do nothing?

If it's fowl pox which is a virus it will run it's course in about 3-4 weeks. Messing with the lesions can help spread it. If it's wounds chickens are good at healing. I might quietly watch them to see if there's any aggression from other birds.