Dry combs?

ShrekDawg

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Jan 18, 2008
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The chicks have been in the garage since 3 weeks (were in house) and have now been outside outside for 3 nights. They turn 8 weeks Monday. There's 8 of them, 1 BR, 2 BA, 3 BO, 2 EE.

Last night was very cold and I decided to check them all out today and noticed some appear to have very dry or red combs/wattles and even nare, top of beak. The EEs in particular seem to have it worst. One's wattles appear to almost be bloody? Or at least cracked. Now noticed another's comb seems dry, almost flake. The Barred Rock wattles looks very red but can't get close look. No one else looks to have issues and even the ones that look weird act normal. All act fine. Maybe this is just how chickens look? Maybe they're just growing in? Should I be applying Vaseline? TIA
 
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Their combs and wattles start getting more red just about the age yours are now as well as growing bigger. You'll notice a change in the pecking order too in the next month or so as they mature.
Definitely make sure there's no blood from pecking but other than that they should be good. I've only heard of using Vaseline to help with frostbite prevention but it couldn't hurt I suppose to use it on dried looking combs. Maybe someone can chime in on that.
 
Maybe that's it then! I sure hope so. The BR it looks like it could be that as it's the whole thing but the EE has like lines of red through it, i don't know, hard to explain. i have definitely noticed the pecking order thing too, the Orpingtons used to be lower and now they get all the bugs almost. The others have started to figure out what bugs are though. The BR almost appears to be very low. Australorps get chased all the.time when they have something. The EEs have been and still appear to be at or near the top but it's definitely shifting around and ones that were higher appear lower and vice versa.

They do sometimes peck as their first area soon got too small but being outside they seem to mostly eat rather than peck each other. There's some chasing to steal treats and some "get out of my way" pecks but doesn't appear to be too serious. In fact, they love to peck ME when I go in there :p

So I'm not sure, could just be coming in or could be blood, I'll try to get a good picture but the EEs are more flighty.

But yeah, I had heard it for the frostbite thing too and thought maybe it could be but that's a different color, right?

I have these pictures.

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I used vaseline on my chickens when their combs got a little chapped last winter. Two had a touch of frostbite, but I went ahead and treated all of them preventatively.
Combs always seem to look and feel dryer in the winter (at least to me). If you want to add a thin layer of Vaseline and rub it in it shouldn't hurt anything, just make sure not to block their nostrils.
 
And it seemed to work?

Thank you for the info, I think I may try it. :)

It's probably nothing but if it is, I don't want to have done nothing, you know?

But yeah, that makes sense. I know my hands always get a lot drier in the winter.
 
It did seem to help my hens with large combs. It acts like a moisturizer to them just like it does to us
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My rooster has a rose comb so he was a little better off, but I went ahead and did him as well and there was definitely nothing negative that happened.
 
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Yeah, that's sort of what I figured! Just figured any of the moisturizers or scented stuff probably wouldn't be good. That's awesome it works! I'll have to try it. :) also have I think Mushers Secret. Wonder if that's similar. Got it for the dogs paws but haven't really used it
 

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