Can a beak bruise? Or is this frostbite? (pics added)

[Lucy4]

One of my BO pullets has a large black/purplish mark on her beak this morning. A beak is cartilage, right? I didn't think it could bruise. With all the snow, they haven't been going into the pen/run as much, so maybe they were fighting. I'm going to get a flock block today to occupy them.

If it's not a bruise... could it be frostbite? I have no idea what it would look like. Her comb looks fine. The temp is the coop is generally about ten degrees higher than it is outside, so I'm thinking about 25 degrees.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[dappertophatter]

It COULD be a bruise- although I've never heard of that in chickens.
One of my knuckleheaded parakeets does this to her beak all the time, and she's fine. Reading your description, it sound almost exactly the same.
Can you get a picture? Where exactly is the purply mark on her beak- top/bottom part, nearer the comb or on the tip?
Good luck with your gorgeous BOs! (I love Orps!)

 

[dappertophatter]

Found a link to a parrot forum where they talk about bruising: http://www.tailfeathersnetwork.com/community/showthread.php?p=396281
I'm really curious about this!!!!
OH- had another thought- when Rainy, the parakeet, bruises her beak, it eventually grows out and it's purply/black too.

 

[Lucy4]

Thanks for the link. I guess maybe it is a bruise? Sorry these pics are so big... don't know how to change that.

 

[dappertophatter]

Yup- bruise. Glad she's OK!

ETA: in the middle pic, you can see the mensicus (third eyelid)

SO COOL!