Our Silver Laced Wyandotte Rooster, Roxy, is about 1 year old. He is the only rooster kept in a fenced run with 10 hens. The top of the run is covered with bird netting and they have a very secure coop where they are locked in at night. I do not believe any other animal has had access to him. He has a quarter size bright red bald patch on the back of his neck which feels very warm and it feels like a firm lump under the skin. He has had it for a few days but he seems to feel fine, is eating normally, and acting the same, aggressive as always. This may be unrelated, but yesterday he started crowing funny and kind of moving his head from side to side as if he was trying to dislodge something. My son picked him up and rubbed his neck and crop area (which felt normal) and then he started crowing normally and has seemed fine since then, so I do think it was probably unrelated but I didn't want to leave anything out. This was when we noticed the spot felt like a lump, kind of like if you bump your forehead and a knot forms. Before we felt the lump, I thought maybe one of the hens was getting even with him and plucked his neck feathers out, but now I am not so sure. Has anyone seen something like this on a roo before, or have any ideas? This year old flock is our first experience keeping chickens, and my son Patrick (who has autism) has really bonded with this Rooster, unlike any other animal ever. Roxy likes him too, and will let him pick him up, carry him around, and hold him. Roxy doesn't like anybody else, is aggressive with the hens (lots of mating damage) and attacks the rest of us whenever he gets a chance, but never Patrick. That is his saving grace, so I really don't want anything to happen to him if I can help it. The vets in our area will not see chickens, or I would take him and get it looked at.
Any ideas???
Any ideas???