Blackening skin on Brahma rooster's head

[Wyorp Rock]

Apart from today and yesterday, the temperature was negative from evenings to mornings.
In my locality, we have had -8°C (17,6 °C) three mornings ago... probably -10°C (14°F) at least when it was darker...?

I'd go with mild frostbite.
Wattles have pretty much the same pattern of discoloration on both sides, likely from drinking water/getting wattles wet.
Comb discoloration looks to be from contact, maybe to the plastic roofing of housing or just exposure.

I do see a bit of sunken eyes on both sides as well, perhaps he may have had respiratory illness like MG, but if he's not showing signs of any illness now, is eating/drinking, active and acting normal, then I'd just monitor him.
No extra supplements, no treatments, just monitor.

 

[ManueB]

Hi Papaye!
I’m also in France, and french in fact .
I’ll post in english so that it doesn't sound like i’m keeping everyone out.
I have been on this site for about two years now and while it is very useful, you will get some conflicting information and find out that globally, Americans use a lot, lot more chemical medications than we do to treat their chickens.
Sometimes for the best, sometimes not...you’ll have to make up your own mind ! One way of getting trusted information is to look at the database of articles and select the ones with the best reviews.
Anyway that wasn't the subject of my post. Just wanted to say that for antibiotics (which I don't think would help your rooster either, but for the long term...) you won't be able to buy them legally here without a prescription. I have a few times been to the vet because I felt my chickens really needed them, but I was given antibiotics that you couldn't store and had to be used immediately.
Alternative solutions ? Get children antibiotics from people who have children that were sick, after doing the reading on what you need, and doing the maths on dosage for chickens, or buy them abroad. I got some supplies on american pigeon sites that were both very reliable but had to pay import fees, so on the whole they were almost as expensive as a visit to the vet would have been. I’m not sure if I am allowed to post a link, I used jedds and they have a lot of products and ship quickly.

And by the way, our vet doesn't prescribe amoxicillin as a broad spectrum antibiotic anymore because of shortage and having to make a declaration, she prescribes azythromycin.

 

[Papaye]

@coach723 :

Thank you!!
(I had to go to sleep because I had no slept since I discovered the darkening of Apache's skin... I was probably being stupid, but I have a clear head now!)

I... actually never had a case of respiratory problem that did not totally heal in my flock, so I did not know that could go and come?
Good to know!

For now, Apache has only been getting better and better concerning his breathing problem. His voice is now so clear he almost sounds like my old rooster (he was a Sussex, so he had a pretty voice)!
So, I'm optimistic.
But I am monitoring him. If it could get worse, like you say... I have to keep a close eye on him!

@Wyorp Rock :

Hmm... if it is frostbite, his comb would not be because of contact (because coop is warm)...
But Apache is an early bird, and that's true the weather was so cold these last weeks I have to change the water 2-3 times in the mornings...!

I did not think his problem could be frostbite, because he is the only one darkening from all my flock!

Apart from frostbite, he is doing great...! His breathing is getting better, and he is eating and drinking normally, and is active (like a Brahma can be)...
He really has no other problem apart from some discolouration...
But I am so worried for him... He is too young to die. He is still a growing boy...!

Thank you.
I'm a bit reassured his problem could really be frostbite...!

@ManueB :

Hi!
Nice to meet you!!
(I'm ALSO French...!! Ah, ah!)

Yes, I noticed some American liked to use "the easy way out" by using chemical treatments... not sure that's good for the birds!
(And not something we could easily do in France even if we wanted to...!)

For now, I could not even go to the vet : I'm in Auvergne, and the roads in my department have some big holes... too much for me to drive on when there is ice on some of these roads!

Yes, I know for Amoxicillin. I can't have a prescription with Amoxicillin anymore for me!
"Shortage medication", they tell... I don't think that is true, but what can we do?

In the drugstores, problem is also : the drugstores can only sell what the laboratories they have contracts with can produce!
In the nearest drugstores from me, that's complicated to find good treatments for animals because these drugstore don't sell what I would need. (Some were so surprised they laughed at me - kindly, thanksfully - when I wanted to buy products for the chickens...!)

So, if I want to have some (ready to use) products to feed to my animals, I generally just buy natural treatments at "La Ferme de Beaumont".
There are some good products!

...Thank you for these informations!!!

 

[Papaye]

NEWS !!!
Apache is reddening!!

This morning, following advice from @TwoCrows - confirmed by @Debbie292d -, I did not put Sodium Bicarbonate again in the chickens waterer.

Instead, I have mixed some Multivitamin juice ("Vitacombex H", from Quiko - Hobby Farming) in the water!
(I would actually not have used Multivitamin juice if I had read the comment from @Wyorp Rock earlier, but since I had already put the vitamins in the water when I came back to the forum, I just left it like that - thinking it could not be hurt my rooster for today only...)

(Also : following what @Eggcessive recommended to me, I did not rub Olive Oil on my rooster's blackening skin again.)

And now... I have looked at my Apache, and I quickly noticed his skin becoming red again!
That was fast...!!
Could that mean Apache's darkening skin is 100% due to frostbite?
Or he really may have a heart problem, and so, that would mean the Sodium Bicarbonate could have worked its magic (on oxygen) in two days only? (Don't think so, but some people would know better than me...?)
Or... could his reddening be only thanks to the vitamins I put in the waterer this morning...?

...I'm so surprised...!

His wattles look red again now.
His comb is no more black : it is lightening in a darker red (purplish) than the rest of his skin.

So... do I need to keep worrying for his life? (He IS healing, right...?)
I was being a bit stupid to panic like that, no...?

I will continue watching him, we never now... But I breath easier now...! I feel lighter...
...This (progressing) black colouring on his skin scared me so much...!!

THANK YOU!!!
To all of you who were so kind to try to help my rooster, and reassure me he may not be dying how I was fearing he was... really, thank you!
I am grateful.

 

[Eggcessive]

Updated pictures can be helpful. So glad that he is improving.

 

[Debbie292d]

NEWS !!!
Apache is reddening!!

This morning, following advice from @TwoCrows - confirmed by @Debbie292d -, I did not put Sodium Bicarbonate again in the chickens waterer.

Instead, I have mixed some Multivitamin juice ("Vitacombex H", from Quiko - Hobby Farming) in the water!
(I would actually not have used Multivitamin juice if I read the comment from @Wyorp Rock earlier, but since I had already put the vitamins in the water when I came back to the forum, I just left it like that - thinking it could not be hurt my rooster for today only...)

(Also : following what @Eggcessive recommended to me, I did not rub Olive Oil on my rooster's blackening skin again.)

And now... I have looked at my Apache, and I quickly noticed his skin becoming red again!
That was fast...!!
Could that mean Apache's darkening skin is 100% due to frostbite?
Or he really may have a heart problem, and so, that would mean the Sodium Bicarbonate could have worked its magic (on oxygen) in two days only? (Don't think so, but some people would know better than me...?)
Or... could his reddening be only thanks to the vitamins I put in the waterer this morning...?

...I'm so surprised...!

His wattles look red again now.
His comb is no more black : it is lightening in a darker red (purplish) than the rest of his skin.

So... do I need to keep worrying for his life? (He IS healing, right...?)
I was being a bit stupid to panic like that, no...?

I will continue watching him, we never now... But I breath easier now...! I feel lighter...
...This (progressing) black colouring on his skin scared me so much...!!

THANK YOU!!!
To all of you who were so kind to try to help my rooster, and reassure me he may not be dying how I was fearing he was... really, thank you!
I am grateful.

So happy your roo is looking spiffy again. We'd sure love a picture!

 

[Papaye]

I just came back from the garden.

Took some pictures there :

Sorry : the quality is very bad.
The brightness also is : the sky is clouded, and that's relatively dark, and I don't know how to take better pictures...

Actually, Apache is now less blackish/purplish he looks like in these pictures!!

His wattles look purple in the pictures, but the purple is actually a dark red colour.
His comb look also blackish here, but it is now more purple/dark red coloured than the black it was still yesterday!!

He is reddening.
I'm so happy...!!

Thank you again!
Hope he will get back all of his healthy red!

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

To give news about Apache...
I can confirm he is healing!!

No more purple on his wattles, and his comb is almost completely red again!

...Thank you again!