Roosters comb looks bad, is it frostbite? before and after pics

[riverpie]

I know some people suggest it but I won't be cutting on my rooster. I've actually never touched him before. I just want to know what the problem might be and if there is something I can do to fix it. I bought some crickets and mealworms today hoping that more of his normal diet might help with nourishment. If I have to put something on his comb, I can probably get some help from someone more experienced. I've only picked up the hen twice but she seems sweet. That's the only time in my life I've picked up a chicken so I am inexperienced on handling them. I sure won't be cutting on them.

 

[ailurophile23]

This is my first year with chickens and we had two weeks of very unusual cold - highs in the teens and twenties and lows in the single digits with brutal windchills. During this time, my rooster got frostbite - he developed black tips along his comb and then recently some of the hens started pecking at the black parts which quickly caused a bloody mess all over their run. We had never handled him before - he is not mean but he is large. We used a very large towel to throw over him and catch him and he was amazingly docile - never kicked or pecked or struggled once we had the towel over him. We cleaned the comb with peroxide (making sure to keep it away from his eyes) and then rinsed all the blood away with warm water. We then applied antibiotic ointment to the whole comb and placed the rooster in a large dog crate in an outside shed. He is doing fine but the comb is still black and if I return him to the flock, I am sure the hens will start picking again. So I called the vet and she said we did everything right - just keep applying the antibiotic ointment and the comb will likely all turn black (die) and slough off. She said it takes up to four weeks so we are in the process of sorting out new digs for the rooster until he is healed. The vet did not recommend removal because of possible bleeding out and death. Best wishes to you and your rooster!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

The Vet should have said that, removing the roo for sure! you have done everything right including removal, chickens love blood and will surely be drawn to those bloody places. keep up the good work and for sharing.

 

[Doug the Chicken Man]

Quote:
This is the way that we deal with it when it eventually comes to the single combs.
We have one in the basement right now as you want to keep it thawed while it heals.
When it it healed we will then move him back out again with the girls.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

For those of you who don't want to wait for the frostbit comb to die and fall off (or potentially go septic if infected and kill your bird):

A helpful website on dubbing: http://www.freewebs.com/cajunyankee/dubbing.htm

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for posting Cuban Longtails, It was very interesting and now each of us can decide for ourselves if this is something we want to do to our birds.

 

[HeatherLynn]

Ok so, considering just hearing about cutting off part of the comb made me dizzy and ready to pass out, how do I avoid frostbite going septic. I only have one rosecomb who has a tiny bit on his. He is the only one really affected. I did treat his spots and was planning on hoping for the best. I did not think that little bit would be such a huge deal.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am with you HeatherLynn, bout made me sick too, are you putting neosporin on it? I don't think you have anything to worry about if it's a small amount and your treating it and keeping an eye on it.

 

[CMV]

HeatherLynn there is a second way I've heard of treating frostbite which involves no cutting. Treat the afflicted areas with straight betadine twice a day and forgo the antibiotic ointment. The rationale is that the straight betadine will dry the areas out quickly (frostbite tends to get goopy with weepy blistering) allowing them to just wither up and fall off as they dry out. No infection is likely to set in with the twice daily applications of betadine.

You still need to address the issue of why he got frostbite in the first place. If your humidity is too high then the frostbite will keep recurring without the application of an ointment like vaseline, Bag Balm or Neosporin. You don't want to use any of these while he is being actively treated because it would defeat what you are trying to achieve. He sounds like he may have been only mildly afflicted, but if you don't know how or why it happened, it could easily happen again and be much worse next time. Once a bird gets frostbite they are much more prone to it in the future.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a question for ya, the coop is well ventalated but they go out in the below freezing weather will they not get frost bite from being exposed to that kind of temps. It doesn't matter how cold my chickens come out, and some stay out. So far no frostbite. But I have been putting bag balm on my roos combs in hopes of protecting it.