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

[CMV]

It depends on whether their combs and wattles are getting exposed to moisture while they are out. If it is snowing/sleeting they can get frostbite if they insist on staying out in it long enough to freeze. If they dip their wattles in the waterer repeatedly and stay in sub-zero temps they can freeze. Frostbite is usually more about exposure to moisture rather than exposure to cold.

I once got caught out in a snow storm. My pant legs got wet from trudging through 3 foot snow drifts. It wasn't even particularly cold, but my pants were wet and I got the only case of frostbite I have ever had in my life (and only on the areas where my pants had gotten wet). Cold is tolerable, but add moisture to the cold and it's a recipe for disaster.

 

[pipthepeep]

If my roo's frostbite is already weepy, is it too late to use the betadine on it? I thought about using betadine (we use it a lot on horse injuries to prevent infection), but everything I read about chicken frostbite said neosporin so I had been treating with that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Also bluekote? maybe using that instead of betadine? also I don't see if it would matter if it is weepy it will probably still dry it up.

 

[CMV]

Both should do the same. Blukote may be hard to keep out of his face unless it comes in something other than the bright yellow spray can. If it's weepy that's the perfect time to start the drying treatment. You want to dry up the goop. Sometimes frostbite forms these impressively large and nasty water blisters which you shouldn't try to rupture, but rather let them go down on their own to keep the skin integrity intact, but if his blisters are already weeping then you want to dry those out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I put blue kote on my one roos wattle the other night where it looked like the girls had been giving him love bites[silly girls] I put a towel around his body and then covered his face all but his wattles and sprayed, but you have to remember that towel is no good for much except that now. but very true you sure don't want to get it into his eyes.

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
It sounds like this is a case of the roo being out in 8 degree weather with blizzard like winds rather than needing more ventilation in the coop...
I found this interesting about treating frostbite:

How to Treat Frostbite in Chickens
By Kimberly Willis and Rob Ludlow
8 of 12 in Series: The Essentials of Tending a Sick or Injured Chicken
If you are raising chickens in a cold area, your birds may suffer from frostbite. Of course, a well-designed chicken coop helps prevent frostbite...but no one can control the weather. One day, you may find black on your chickens’ combs or wattles — a sure sign of damage. It’s important to understand how to deal with the condition if this ever affects your backyard flock.

Frostbite causes blackened areas on the ends of combs, wattles, and sometimes toes. In most cases, these areas dry up and fall off eventually. Do not trim off the blackened area unless it gets infected — the blackened area gives some protection to the area below it. When you remove that, the area beneath it may be frostbitten next. Do, however, keep an eye on the area. If infection sets in, you will have to trim the black off the comb or wattle.

Rubbing chicken combs and wattles with oil, petroleum jelly, and other things doesn’t prevent frostbite. If your weather regularly gets down near zero, hanging some heat lamps over the roosting area or heating the shelter may help. Don’t heat shelters too much above freezing, because doing so causes moisture problems that may be worse than the cold.

Roosters with frostbitten combs may be temporarily infertile. But it’s not the frostbite that causes the infertility; it’s the amount of cold that the chicken has been exposed to. Usually fertility is restored after conditions improve and the rooster’s body recovers from the stress.


Read more: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-treat-frostbite-in-chickens.html#ixzz18r1Z4N6A

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the info. all I know is my friend trimmed her roos frost bit comb and he bleed to death, now she probably did something wrong I wasn't there so I don't know but I don't think I could do it for fear of that happening.

 

[CMV]

I try to go for the most minimally invasive procedures first. Chickens are tough as nails, so there is no point in doing radical things to them when there is all likelihood that they can recover on their own. I wonder about your friend's bird Miss Lydia- do you think he bled out or do you think shock may have done him in? I have found shock to be far more dangerous than the injuries themselves, which is why I try not to perform invasive things on my birds unless all else fails.

 

[saladin]

If you cannot dub the cocks you keep then I would suggest finding someone who will do it for you.

It is an age old practise that has very little blood involved (usually less than a thimble full).

You can treat the comb as has been stated already. It is much simplier to dub once and be done with it. The whole procedure takes less than a minute to accomplish (comb, wattles and earlobes).

By the way, never take a chicken to a vet. They typically don't know anything about poultry and their guesses are just wrong. If you need a poultry vet call your State Vet or better yet, one of the poultry supply houses.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sorry cvm just saw your post, my friend said her roo bleed out. so I'm not sure what she did but he died.