Rooster comb issue

NKY

Hatching
Jan 29, 2023
3
1
9
I’m new to raising chickens as this is my first flock. Yesterday I noticed my rooster had little black spots on his comb. This morning I checked on him and it now looks like his comb is turning a purplish color on the back and rips. He is otherwise acting normal. Does anyone know what might cause this and what can be done? Any input would be appreciated!
 

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Given the season, and that it's mostly on the tips of the comb, my first guess would be frostbite. What kind of temperatures have you had in the last two weeks or so?

Treatment for frostbitten comb: try not to let it get frozen again (if that's something you can control), but otherwise leave it alone. No washing, no scrubbing, no putting things on it, etc. If it is frostbite, it will probably looks worse at some point, then will either get better or the tips will completely die and fall off.

If it is not frostbite, then I don't know for sure. Dark spots can be some kinds of mites, or scabs from picking or fighting, or sores from fowlpox, or maybe other things that I've forgotten. Purplish color at the edges can be from poor blood circulation, which sometimes indicates a heath problem and sometimes just happens without any problems.
 
I’m in south central TX. It hasn’t been too cold. Last night it dropped to 49. No other roosters. He’s the only one with the 10 barred rock hens. Thank you for the welcome!
 
I’m in south central TX. It hasn’t been too cold. Last night it dropped to 49. No other roosters. He’s the only one with the 10 barred rock hens. Thank you for the welcome!
Has it been below freezing at all in the last two weeks?

If not, then there's no way for it to be frostbite, and it would have to be something else.

(Symptoms of frostbite do not always show up immediately, which is why I'm asking about 2 weeks.)
 
I checked on him again, and now it’s back to normal. I’m going to be keeping an eye on him for now.
 
I checked on him again, and now it’s back to normal. I’m going to be keeping an eye on him for now.
If it's back to normal, then it definitely was not frostbite (in addition to the temperature reasons it was not frostbite.)

Yes, keep an eye on it, but it might just be one of those things that happen sometimes.
 
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Has it been below freezing at all in the last two weeks?

If not, then there's no way for it to be frostbite, and it would have to be something else.

(Symptoms of frostbite do not always show up immediately, which is why I'm asking about 2 weeks.)
My babies have black bumps on their combs. Here in south Tx., it's been pretty hot. Some days are in 3 digits. I've been changing their water religiously, and using ice bottles in the larger water containers, and ice cubes in the smaller water dispensers. I keep their inner coop very clean, with new straw everyday. They are allowed to free range early mornings and again in cooler late afternoons. No lesions or open sores, I'm just concerned about the black bumps. It could be the heat, don't know.
 
My babies have black bumps on their combs. Here in south Tx., it's been pretty hot. Some days are in 3 digits. I've been changing their water religiously, and using ice bottles in the larger water containers, and ice cubes in the smaller water dispensers. I keep their inner coop very clean, with new straw everyday. They are allowed to free range early mornings and again in cooler late afternoons. No lesions or open sores, I'm just concerned about the black bumps. It could be the heat, don't know.

I suggest you make a separate thread for this, with photos. Chickens can get black bumps on their combs for several different reasons, and if yours are different than the first one in this thread, it will get confusing quite quickly.

(Oh, I see you did start a thread as well. Please post photos in that thread.)
 

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