Is it frostbite?

My BO has the tips of her comb that are black. Just the tips. She seems fine and is eating and everything but I am a little freaked out by the black. Should I do anything? I have a light in the coop to keep it warm but I suspect she got the frostbite (if that's what it is) during the day because we have been sub-zero in the mornings. What do you think, and how do I treat frostbite?

Without pictures its hard to say but my guess is yes. I have a Production Red rooster who half his comb has turned black this winter. He absolutely positively refuses to go inside his coop. I feel so badly for him but he just won't go in. Instead he sits on top of it.

Everyone's birds with larger combs and wattles are dealing with frostbite this year. I'm not sure why that is. I have never had frostbite in my flock, but this year my roo has it on his wattles from dipping them in the waterer. You can go one of 3 routes for dealing with frostbite:

1. Treat it with straight betadine twice a day until healed. This will help dry out the bite and get any necrotic areas to slough off more quickly.
2. Treat with Neosporin as needed. This prevents it from happening again by applying an ointment, but takes longer to heal.
3. Don't treat it and just monitor it for signs of infection.

I am taking option #3 with my roo because his case is so mild and only on one wattle edge, so I have been watching him and when it first happened I treated it, but he gets so annoyed about me fussing over him that I stopped to save the peace.

Only you can judge how severe the frostbite is to your BO, so you will need to decide if she needs treatment or not by your own observations.

Good luck.

Thanks for your help. It doesn't look too bad right now so I will watch it and hope for warmer weather!

OK, lets talk the difference between frostbite and favus! Frostbite looks like the area is dieing because the area has frozen. Favus begins with what appears to be white powder on combs and wattles and then begins to crust over in black. Mostly because the favus is eating into the flesh and causing it to bleed.

Here is a link of frostbite pics... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3484665

Here is a link of favus (ours-which was diagnosed by a poultry vetrinarian) https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5437011#p5437011. Honestly, I posted when it first appeared and everyone said FROSTBITE! Now my entire flock has favus and I get to doctor 18 chickens everday for atleast 30 days.

If you even think it's favus begin treating promptly!!!!!!! If there is a pharmicist close by he can order bigger tubes of generic monostat cream with an active ingrediant of miconazole nitrate 2%.

Here is a link to a study I've found on treating favus... http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8719227

Worst case, if you're not sure contact your local county extension officer and see if they can help or point you in the direction of someone local. That's what I did and it's paying off.

Good luck and have fun.

it does sound like frostbite. to try to prevent that rub vasoline on their combs

Hi there, seen this topic and I also have a question about frostbite. I have a roo whose waddles have become swollen due to frostbite:/, was wondering on what I can do if anything else other than what I have done and that is apply neosporin. We've had some very cold days this year with snow accumulating daily so frostbite is kind of expected I geuss. Thanks in advance for any help.