Problem with a chicken...kinda gross pictures of comb/feet

[Anntann]

so...yesterday Mike went to put away the chicken and found one of the 6?week old Buckeyes with...problems. Swellings on his comb and toes. He called and described it to me, and today got to the library to send a picture. POOR CHICKEN!

He's still eating and drinking. Last night he was very active and acting like a normal chicken. This morning he was a little more sedate, but still up and about. Just didn't rush the door like the others do. (why he didn't put the guy in quarantine is anyone's guess). The toes look like they've been bleeding, but there don't seem to be any real peck marks on his head.

He's the only one to show these problems, so I'm wondering if maybe he got into a noxious weed? Cyngbaeld suggested he might have gotten caught in wire and the then the others pecked at him? (we do have 2 VERY aggressive roos in this bunch).

They're out in a pasture/wooded area. Woods are heavy with blackberry and rose brambles, as well as oak, hickory, maple, ash, and other trees. I haven't SEEN any poison ivy, but it's certainly possible.

I'd sure appreciate any thoughts, ideas, help...

 

[MaggieJ]

Poor little chickie!

Certainly quarantine him. I'd likely cull him rather than treat, but then I am getting hard-hearted in my old age.

 

[Anntann]

Mike just reported in again. Chicken is doing fine...still lumpy, but it's not worse. He's out and about in his pen. Eating and drinking just fine. Ticked off that he's not out in the woods with everyone else.

I'm hoping like crazy that it's a noxious weed or something. We DO have stinging nettles in that area.

sigh..the gnats/midges/whatever they are are HORRIBLE out there this year. Mike is spreading DE around inside and out, and I suggested that he could kick out the chickens, take out the feed/water, and spray with "flying insect" spray. close up the door for 30 minutes. He said he'd give it a try. At least it might kill off a FEW insects. I just don't know what else to do for the poor birds

 

[Devon's Mom Lauren]

That sorta looks like a fungal thingy, I'm not up on chickens anymore and \i seem to remember a comb/foot disease. Maybe google it to see. it sort of looks like "gout" as well, an inflammatory response, which can happen for absolutly no reason...

 

[Brody]

In a cat quite honestly I'd say it was probably an auto immune issue - cats nail beds can get nasty like tht when they have crappy immune systems for whatever reason

I'll hope it's contact with something toxic he can recover from easily

 

[moonkitten]

Sad to say, but it looks like a classic case of "fowl pox" to me. Google some images and see if you think it's the same thing. Apparently it's transmitted by mosquitoes or gnats.

I had one pullet display this about 4 years ago. Since they say that sometimes the chickens can fight it off themselves,I isolated her and waited a week or so but she got worse instead of better, so I culled her.