Dirty/missing feathers around comb

[Amazonlover]

Hello, hoping someone here has experience with this. I have a 14 month buff Orpington hen. I came home from a three day vacation to find the top of her head around her comb looking odd. It appears to be very dirty or missing feathers. Her poop looks normal, her body feels normal, she’s acting normal-her comb just looks weird. Anyone ever had a similar issue? I’m including a couple of pics

 

[Tookie]

Looks like blood from a comb injury. Are there any scabs or wounds on her comb? From what I can tell there aren’t but I can’t see some areas.

 

[Cheekychook11]

I agree, could someone be picking on her? I’m having similar problems in my flock at the moment

 

[CoopBoots]

I'd wipe the black gunk gently with some warm water on a white cotton pad or Q-tip swab. It may come away reddish, which means blood.

Is she new, or do you have other new birds, that might be bullying her? Otherwise, is there a sharp edge anywhere she may repeatedly be rubbing against?

 

[Amazonlover]

Hi, no scabs or wounds on the comb. And when I dabbed the area with a warm wet washcloth, it was brown like dirt and didn’t appear to be blood (which I’m thinking would be more of a rust color)

 

[Amazonlover]

I'd wipe the black gunk gently with some warm water on a white cotton pad or Q-tip swab. It may come away reddish, which means blood.

Is she new, or do you have other new birds, that might be bullying her? Otherwise, is there a sharp edge anywhere she may repeatedly be rubbing against?

Hi, thank you. I will do some more dabbing on her head, this time with a white cloth not a pink one, and try to get all of it off. I have 4 other girls (all different breeds), they were all picked up as newborns and raised together-there has never been an issue with bullying and I haven’t noticed any since I got back (but will keep a special eye out now). And I’ll look for sharp edges in the run. Thank you.

 

[Amazonlover]

Looks like blood from a comb injury. Are there any scabs or wounds on her comb? From what I can tell there aren’t but I can’t see some areas.

I did some more clean up and indeed am encountering some dried blood. Here’s a close up pic. Should I put some isopropyl alcohol on it? Neosporin?

 

[Cheekychook11]

Is the comb itself swollen? In the picture you sent it looks puffy, and purple around the edges
I’m not experienced enough to know what that is though.. but I’d definitely keep an eye out for bullying

 

[Amazonlover]

Yeah, there definitely appears to be a wound on the back of the comb. In that last pic that extra red area appears to be bleeding. I’m thinking I should use isopropyl alcohol and stiptic powder on it.

 

[Cheekychook11]

Yeah I would probably put some antiseptic of some sort on it in case of infection, in case they are bullying her I’d put some kind of cover over it so they don’t cause more damage