Need Help Addressing My Buff Orpington's Black Comb

[KalChickenCrew]

First Post on BYC!!
Over the past few months my Buff Orphington Rooster (10 months old) has had short stints of his comb tips turning black. It started happening when he was about 4 months old when daily temps were 80-90 and nights were in the 70's. This is my first time having chickens, and if this only just now started, I would assume frostbite, but since it was happening even in the summer, that leads me to believe differently. With that being said, I don't know what it is and I'm hoping that someone can help me figure out what it is and what I can do to help him.

Side note: Unlike my hens, he is extremely mean and wont let us get anywhere near him. He's been this way since about 2 weeks old. You can hold the hens all day but if you get within 3 feet of him, he'll run at you and kangaroo kick you and bite you until you back away. So hopefully someone has a remedy that will not require touching him

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC!!! I do not know what that it is and hopefully someone will come along and help.I would try rinsing it off with water then apply neosporin.Get him in the middle of the night he will be tired and he will be easy to catch.

 

[chickluvinfreak]

Welcome to BYC!!! I do not know what that it is and hopefully someone will come along and help.I would try rinsing it off with water then apply neosporin.Get him in the middle of the night he will be tired and he will be easy to catch.

X2
Part of his attitude problem may be that he's in pain because of his comb.

 

[ChickenGrass]

Welcome to BYC!!! I do not know what that it is and hopefully someone will come along and help.I would try rinsing it off with water then apply neosporin.Get him in the middle of the night he will be tired and he will be easy to catch.

X3
And

 

[Eggcessive]

That is definitely frostbite. Do not massage the comb or wattles since they are very painful. Apply some Vetericyn spray or some plain neosporin to the comb daily. The tips will probably be rounded off in the future. TheChickenChick has a good article on frostbite prevention and treatment if you Google it.

 

[azygous]

It looks like frostbite at first glance, but it's much too uniform. I have a rooster who is currently suffering from a very bad case of frostbite, and beside the tips blackening into a hard crispy crust, he also has yellowish blistering adjacent to the back parts. And yes, it's obviously very painful. And usually, the part of the comb closest to the front part of the head, receiving the benefit of body heat radiating upward, won't freeze. You usually see the freezing occurring on the uppermost portions farthest from the body.

But you say this roo began getting this blackening of his comb tips in summer when there was absolutely zero chance of frostbite occurring. I therefore feel that something else entirely is going on.

Question: has he lost any of the tissue on his comb? Was his comb originally taller, larger, and more pointy?

You've heard of tales of people spontaneously combusting. I'm wondering if your rooster is experiencing just the opposite. It looks to me like he has no blood flow to the outer portion of his comb and the tissue is dying because of it. Has the blackening progressed in a rather steady fashion since he was a few months old? Or is the blackening a recent development? What did it look like when you first noticed this happening back in summer?

 

[Eggcessive]

The wattles definitely look like classic frostbite from being wet from a waterer, then freezing. The comb tips look black, which can be frostbite or from blood. Sometimes they will be pecked about the comb after frostbite. Some large combed birds can look darkened on the tips at times, but it usually doesn't look like this.

 

[azygous]

But you're not taking into account that this condition began months ago in summer when there was no chance of frostbite. What would account for that?

Yes, the wattles show classic signs of freezing from being dipped in water. But the uniformity of the black on the entire ridge of the comb all the way down to the beak troubles me.

I'm wondering if it could be dry fowl pox. Another question for the OP: Do you have a problem with mosquitos where you live

If the OP is reading these posts, hopefully we can get a bit more information.

The wattles definitely look like classic frostbite from being wet from a waterer, then freezing. The comb tips look black, which can be frostbite or from blood. Sometimes they will be pecked about the comb after frostbite. Some large combed birds can look darkened on the tips at times, but it usually doesn't look like this.

As I said, it sure does look like frostbite, but in the summer? I'm curious as to what it looked like when the OP first noticed it.

 

[chickens really]

He appears to have a very large comb......The blood is not flowing to the ends of his comb for what ever reason...Some people do cut back the combs on Roosters...Or Cull them.....

Best of luck...

Cheers!

 

[Isaac 0]

That is definitely frostbite. Do not massage the comb or wattles since they are very painful. Apply some Vetericyn spray or some plain neosporin to the comb daily. The tips will probably be rounded off in the future. TheChickenChick has a good article on frostbite prevention and treatment if you Google it.

Im confused,She said the rooster got the black thing in the summer.No chance of frostbite.