Black crusts on comb

[Davisrush]

I noticed my BCM rooster has black crusty areas on his comb & wattle. My BCM hen has a more solid black to her comb and wattle without crusts. They are healthy and active. She has laid an egg every day for the past three weeks with the exception of skipping a day a week after she started laying. They are about 9 months old. No black on any of my other chickens. It hasn't been cold enough for frostbite. Normal poop other than last night when I picked them up it was like undigested crumbles with grass in it. (I think I scared it out of them ; ) ) Any ideas what this is or if I should be worried? I'm new to chicken keeping so any advise would be appreciated.

 

[Hybridchucks]

you have more than one roo?

 

[Hybridchucks]

I you have another cockerel it is most likely been fighting....those are probably scabs...

 

[Davisrush]

Yes. The other one looks fine. I've never noticed them fighting. They grew up together.

 

[Hybridchucks]

Oh...well maybe other one is a bully and that one is a runt??? I guess they can start fighting even if they grew up together (sadly) Maybe they only fight when you are not around...coz they have no need to fight, coz your boss or something lol

 

[rebrascora]

I agree the cockerel's comb is showing signs of injury, most consistent with fighting. If you wet your fingers and rub the black bits, I am pretty certain that your fingers will come away blood red. The black crustiness is just dried blood.

As regards your hen, I think she may have what I have read referred to as "gypsy face" which may be a genetic trait. I stand to be corrected by someone more experienced on that though.

Are you sure she is a BCM....she reminds me a lot of my neighbour's Croad Langshans looking at that head shot and I can't see any obvious copper on her neck/chest in that photo.

 

[Davisrush]

I agree the cockerel's comb is showing signs of injury, most consistent with fighting. If you wet your fingers and rub the black bits, I am pretty certain that your fingers will come away blood red. The black crustiness is just dried blood.

As regards your hen, I think she may have what I have read referred to as "gypsy face" which may be a genetic trait. I stand to be corrected by someone more experienced on that though.

Are you sure she is a BCM....she reminds me a lot of my neighbour's Croad Langshans looking at that head shot and I can't see any obvious copper on her neck/chest in that photo.

She doesn't have a lot of color but it's there. I know she doesn't meet breed standards completely but she consistently gives me eggs that are about a 4-5 (mostly 4-the light brown egg in the corner is a store egg for comparison)

on the marans scale so I'm good with that (sorry the pics went in the middle of the post)

 

[rebrascora]

Yes I see now, definitely a BCM. Nice eggs! I have 2 that lay a similar colour range. Not the darkest marans can lay but still impressive enough to make people comment when they open their egg boxes for the first time, especially when combined with blue, green, white and tint eggs.

 

[Davisrush]

Oh...well maybe other one is a bully and that one is a runt??? I guess they can start fighting even if they grew up together (sadly) Maybe they only fight when you are not around...coz they have no need to fight, coz your boss or something lol

Now that I look closely at my cream legbar roo in the next pen over, his comb looks that way too so I wonder if they're fighting through the fence. That would make sense. The other BCM was a runt. I actually thought it was a pullet when I bought it and then all of a sudden his growth exploded and out came the boy feathers!

 

[Davisrush]

Yes I see now, definitely a BCM. Nice eggs! I have 2 that lay a similar colour range. Not the darkest marans can lay but still impressive enough to make people comment when they open their egg boxes for the first time, especially when combined with blue, green, white and tint eggs.

That's what I was aiming for-a rainbow of eggs! Thanks for your help!