Black Patches Over Rooster's Eyes

[VA Lady]

I've been looking up "black spots" online since they showed up on my rooster's head yesterday but what I've found doesn't look exactly like what I'm seeing on my bird. His don't look like warts or bumps. They actually looked a little wet. He won't let me touch it (he isn't mean at all but he is fussy about being messed with) so I can't really even check to see if he's just dirty but it doesn't really seem like that to me anyway... I'm posting pics and hope one of the experts out there can help!

Also, he chipped the end off his beak recently (you can see it in the last photo). Can anyone tell me if that should grow back or is he always going to have a bit of an "under bite" now?

 

[TheFarmMama]

It looks like scabbing-have you noticed him scratching his head with his feet at all?

 

[chickenaddictntn]

Looks like he's scratching his head. What kind of camera do you have I'm looking for a new one?

 

[VA Lady]

Quote:
This is the camera:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031RGEVS/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B003EGA93A&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1K05S07AB042QQYBPNME

 

[VA Lady]

Sorry, looks like that link didn't work - the camera is an Olympus SP-800UZ.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on my poor rooster? If he needs any sort of medication I'd really like to get it for him...

 

[chickenaddictntn]

Thanks awsome camera.

 

[sourland]

Either he is scratching his head or the hens are pecking at him. Looks as if he may have had some frost bite which is aggravating him. I think his beak will grow out. It does not look as if the quick was affected.

 

[VA Lady]

I'm not sure if this could be the cause but in the morning when I'm going to let them out of the coop he does run along the hardware cloth excited. He could be rubbing his head against it when he's doing that. However, I've not noticed it red, bloody or raw at all - it was just suddenly black. Also, I'm disappointed if he'd managed to get frostbite as I've really tried hard to keep them comfortable this winter. I used a heat lamp and I've kept a remote thermometer in the roost to be sure it doesn't get to cold (I don't think it ever got below freezing - it averaged in the 40s most nights). I'm in Virginia and the coldest nights are usually in the 20s.

 

[sourland]

I think you may have answered your own question as to what is happening. It takes very little irritation or blood to create that appearance. In his eagerness to get out, he may be rubbing against the hardware cloth. The only reason I mentioned the possibility of frost bite is because of the yellowing apparent on the front of his comb in pics 2 and 3. Actually, a heat lamp in a coop without adequate ventilation increases the chance of frost bitten combs.

 

[akapple]

has it been cold there? It could be frostbite damage. We had that happen to one and that's what it looked like. Was told just to coat these area's of the face, comb, etc... w/ petroleum jelly to protect them.