# Whats wrong with my roos comb?



## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

What are those black dots? Hoping there just scabs or something not anything gross


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

Just little scratches and maybe insect bites. Nothing to be concerned about. It does not look like pox at all.


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## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

Bird_slave said:


> Just little scratches and maybe insect bites. Nothing to be concerned about. It does not look like pox at all.


Thanks so much! What a relief


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## HerkNav (May 4, 2013)

My roo has the same thing. I got up close to take a look and thought they looked like eggs. Is it possible gnats are laying eggs on the comb? I knocked a few off and they came off pretty easily.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Could be fungal. It comes and goes in flocks at times, usually on the same birds. It doesn't last and it seems to have no ill effect. It's not gnats or bites because it happens in the winter also.


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## PhoenixGirl12 (Jul 2, 2013)

2rain said:


> What are those black dots? Hoping there just scabs or something not anything gross


My rooster has those too. It doesn't seem to bother him. But if your worried you can always put something like Poultry Protector on it which gets rid of mites etc. or something for wounds.


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

Don't rule out mites right away either.


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## fowlmouthgirls (May 25, 2013)

It does look like mites, kind of like the ear mites dogs get.


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## HerkNav (May 4, 2013)

If they are mites how do you get rid of them? I read something about using DE to keep your chickens mite free. Will that work on the comb?


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

I prefer sevin dust, but many do the DE with good results as well. You'll have to treat your whole coop. They LOVE to hide in cracks of wood and in the poopies on the perches.


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## fowlmouthgirls (May 25, 2013)

I use the DE in my coop and run anyway, it also deters the flies, we have horrible biting horse flies down here, they tear up dogs ears, cat ears etc.


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

I do monthly mite checks as part of my regular chicken care. I have yet to find one on in my main chicken coop (found a single one on my broody serama once). Regular mite checks are a good thing, however I still say your rooster's comb shows nothing but the average marks they get from pecks and scratches.


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## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

It's getting worse help! How do you check for mites?


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## fowlmouthgirls (May 25, 2013)

I would just do the treatments people are suggesting before it gets any worse. Could it be biting flys? My dogs used to get a red crusty residue on the ends of their ears where the flys we're biting them.


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

If its mites, take a cotton swab and moisten it well. Swab one of the areas. It's it's brown and faded blood color it could be mites. Pure blood looks different than mite poop.


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

That second pic looks more like bites from gnats.


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## 2rain (Jun 2, 2013)

fowlmouthgirls said:


> I would just do the treatments people are suggesting before it gets any worse. Could it be biting flys? My dogs used to get a red crusty residue on the ends of their ears where the flys we're biting them.


I don't think we have any biting flys here and just dusted the whole coop with DE any other suggestions?


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## mjs500doo (May 6, 2013)

Have you swabbed a blood spot ?


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Castor oil...cheap, can be found at any pharmacy, a multitude of wonderful uses, non-toxic to the birds or humans. No color, no smell, not much of a taste even. 

Just put some on your fingers and rub lightly into affected and adjacent areas and see what happens.


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