Alaska Chicken Lover's Soup for the Cold!!

[MrsDeb]

I do think it's frostbite.....You show her foot sitting in snow that was my whole reasoning behind keeping her in a warm spot. I have had chickens recover just fine in a heated coop as long as
it is kept clean and no one is picking on her. The transition from going from the coop to a heated house can be very hard on them this time of year, once you have her inside she'll likely have to stay there until it warms up. Which if you are set
up for it, is probably the ideal set up. But some folks aren't able to keep poultry in the house for a variety of reasons.

You also risk everyone picking on her when you reintroduce her to the flock again once she's been away from them a week or two......

And just for the record, I have had chickens live a long healthy life with very few toes...One of our very first hens had one toe left on one foot and two on the other from a dog attack under the cage they were in...

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
I have had two chickens get frostbite this year, and tho that looks the same it also looks different... when mine got it ALL their toes were puffy, not just one.... but maybe I'm not seeing the picture correctly? Is her entire foot swollen?

Bring her in the house in a rubbermaid bin with wire over the top. Don't even need a lamp because I'm assuming your house is warm? LOL When mine first got bit I asked around a lot about it, some recover, some lose toes, some lose a whole foot, some a whole leg! However, I was also told that once the healing process is done and the lose whatever they are going to lose, they are fine

I have one in the house now that will stay til Spring, but that's ok.

However, you will probably always have to watch her for frostbite in the future.

Let us know what you do!

 

[Eveil]

humm.... It is only the one tow that is swollen and her palm area if that makes any sense.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
I removed both of mine to warmer places...tho I don't see why she couldn't recover if the temp is always above freezing.... is her foot stiff?

 

[MrsDeb]

Eveil,

That toe was vulnerable in the first place so it wouldn't surprise me that it would be the only one to freeze. Epsom salts is a good idea in the warm bath, dry it off really well and putting Vaseline on it afterward wouldn't hurt either...or triple antibiotic ointment. Although
you'll probably find everything stuck to her foot after putting that on her, that's not a big deal as long as there are no open sores. If it's not frostbite the warm bath with salts won't hurt anything and if by chance it is an infection you'll draw it out with the warm salt bath.

 

[Eveil]

the one tow is stiff the other tows are not the "palm" area is stiffer then her other one but still has some movement. See my thoughts on the coop is that if she did get frostbite and that is a very good possibility I dont know it is my first year raising chickens. it would have had to happen inside of her coop because today was the first time they where out side and that was when I was cleaning her coop out. normally they do not go outside at all they did not want to once it started to get cold so I just shut the door so keep the heat in and they have been in there. When it is sunny I tried to get them to go out at the first part of winter but they just where not interested so I did not make them.


"That toe was vulnerable in the first place so it wouldn't surprise me that it would be the only one to freeze. Epsom salts is a good idea in the warm bath, and putting Vaseline on it afterward wouldn't hurt either...or triple antibiotic ointment. Although
you'll probably find everything stuck to her foot after putting that on her. If it's not frostbite the warm bath with salts won't hurt anything and if by chance it is an infection you'll draw it out with the warm salt bath."

I will get some of the Epsom salt and give her a bath tomorrow, would do it tonight but I dont have any. Will put the other stuff on her after her bath. I think I will try treating her out side in the coop first for the hubby. But it I see no improvement or it gets worse I will bring her in. I would hate to do that though cause your right it would be sucky trying to get her reintroduced into the flock.

 

[Wolfwoman]

How long were they outside when you were cleaning? My one coop has (until the winds started 2 weeks ago) 24/7 access to go outside, and they are often out there. No chickens in that coop have gotten frostbite... just in my closed in coop because they weren't roosting at night.

I think Deb hit the nail on the head with the one toe being hurt and then getting cold.

At this point it doesn't matter, get her in, get her warm and let her heal

 

[Eveil]

I did put a thicker layer of wood chips down to keep the floor wormer and it is 45 in there now. Will keep and eye on the temp. I just checked her and she is roosting with her foot under her next to two of her buddies so she looks to be doing out out there for now will start treatment first thing tomorrow and keep her worm.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Keep us posted!!

 

[anaiyuk]

hi there! I'm glad to find all you Alaskans! I was wonderingif any of you own call duck and were willing to send a few eggs this way in order to fulfill a promise to my daughter?