Black tips on comb

[bluegiantsc]

I just walked out to feed the chickens and I noticed that my rooster has slightly blackened tips on his comb. Its not super dark and doesn't look like its about fall off or anything, but its a little worrisome to me.
His comb also looks a little pale, his waddle is a nice red color but his comb is a little more pale that usual.

Should I put some vaseline on his comb or let it go?
I also have this stuff, its called Mushers Secret, its for dogs feet in the snow. I can't find the ingredients list, but it says that its made with natural waxes and vitamin e. It smells really good, and its safe for dogs to lick and stuff. Would that stuff be okay to put on his comb or just regular vaseline. I'll have to go get some vaseline in that case, haha.

Thanks.

 

[Harry Rooster]

I've seen posts that say to put vasceline on it, but sounds like to me that the stuff you've got for your dog would work, although I know you have to be really careful about ingredients in stuff. I would think if it is pure vitamin E and natural waxes, it would be okay, but again if you can't find the actual ingredients list, idk. Someone else might know this product and maybe they will answer shortly. Are you thinking it's frostbite?, cause my rooster has darkened tips on his comb also, that I've been wondering about, but his is definately not frostbite, because he's been inside, being treated for respiratory illness since they've appeared. I'm just wondering if the cause could be a vitamin deficency or something else that might need to be addressed? Let me know if you find out.

 

[bluegiantsc]

I was thinking the dark tips were frost bite, but I live in the south and its not THAT cold outside. Its gotten down into maybe the teens at night and in the 50s during the day, so he shouldn't have frostbite.
It happened last winter too though, but I didn't do anything about it and it went away, but this year it looks a little worse.

I don't know anything about vitamin deficiencies, so it could be that? He free-ranges a lot of the time, so he should be getting everything he needs by getting his own food. I've been locking him in the coop with the hen though, since she's broody, so he hasn't been going out into the yard lately, he's been staying in the house. Do you think it could be a vitamin D deficiency? Since he hasn't been in the sun in a few days?

I'm not entirely sure what it is that's causing the black tips.
Hmmm...perplexing.

 

[bluegiantsc]

So after a little more research, I've seen different things on what it could be.
It could be any number of things...
1. frost bite
2. mites
3. worms
and 4. excess testosterone. I think that it might be number 4. My hen is broody and he doesn't have another hen to mate with, so I think he's got a little excess manliness going on right now. She's been in the nest for like a week and he knows whats going on. hahaha.

I don't think I have anything to worry about, but I'll just keep an eye on it to see if it progresses to anything worse.

 

[Harry Rooster]

Maybe that's it. I haven't researched it at all yet, because I've been so busy researching the pressing respiratory, cocci, worm emergency issues I've been having to deal with first, but it is on my to do list. The reason I thought vitamin deficency is because mine has never had this problem before until he got sick and I moved him inside to treat him, so on top of being sick, he wasn't getting any sun either, or free ranging. He's always been free ranger also, and it's not that cold here either in Bama, but I knew it wasn't frostbite with my boy. My boy also doesn't have any girlfriends either and never has, his brother took all the women, so I guess he's always had excess testosterone, but never had dark spots on the tips of his comb before, that I noticed. He does have worms however, and I'm almost positive from the one I found that one type is tape worm, don't know what other types he may have, ordered some stuff that's supposed to get them all though. So, it may be worms. I wouldn't have known that he had worms, had I not had him inside in a cage on paper where I found it. There was none in his pooh, and never has been any in his pooh where he has been roosting outside (alone on the porch). In fact the worm I found wasn't in the pooh, just laying on the paper, no pooh even around it, that leads me to believe that it might have come from his mouth? If you find out any other info. please let me know. If after I worm him in a few days, the black on his comb goes away, we'll know that's what it was. Probably good idea just to keep watching yours for any other signs or worsening, before you worry.