Alternative for Vaseline for frostbite prevention.

[Cryss]

It seems I’m out of Vaseline for my roosters comb. It’s dropping to freezing at night now and I’m not getting to the store for a day or two. I have bacitracin on hand, also neosporin without the pain reliever. I thought to use coconut oil but wondered if it would stick or just melt off.
Any suggestions?

 

[saysfaa]

Plenty of water to drink. This helps keep a good volume of blood in the body - including the comb and wattles. The blood flow brings warmth to those areas.

 

[SueT]

I suggest you take this opportunity to stop using Vaseline. Let it be. Providing adequate ventilation is the most important step you can take.

 

[thecatumbrella]

This could be a complete placebo effect, but I sprinkle some cayenne powder in their hot mash on cold mornings (and before bed). The mash is just their regular feed with a bit of hot water. No idea if it helps with circulation, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Cryss]

Plenty of water to drink. This helps keep a good volume of blood in the body - including the comb and wattles. The blood flow brings warmth to those areas.

They have unlimited fresh water supply every. But thank you for that insight.

 

[RoyalChick]

I will never be able to find the reference now but there was a study done on soldiers in Finland that showed that putting Vaseline and equivalents on the skin actually increased the severity of frostbite. Something about trapping moisture close to the skin.
I understand your rooster isn't a soldier in Finland but the skin of his comb is not so different.
I think as @SueT said, stop using it and just make sure there is really good ventilation.
Incidentally, as we are not so far from each other in NJ, I have had a couple of episodes of frostbite on combs in the past - but only when the temperatures were well into single digits. Or in one case when the chicken dunked her head in a water bucket and was molting and it was 20 degrees!
We haven't got close to scary frostbite temperatures in NJ yet.

 

[Cryss]

I suggest you take this opportunity to stop using Vaseline. Let it be. Providing adequate ventilation is the most important step you can take.

Yes, ventilation is paramount of importance. I built my walk in coop with all open eves covered with only 1/2 inch hardware cloth. I don’t allow water or food in the coop. Poop is scooped every day to prevent it’s moisture becoming a problem. It is extremely dry in my coop. My boy has a large straight comb and I’m in a mountain in New Jersey. It gets bitter cold at night. But thank you for your thoughts

 

[AmyRoach]

It seems I’m out of Vaseline for my roosters comb. It’s dropping to freezing at night now and I’m not getting to the store for a day or two. I have bacitracin on hand, also neosporin without the pain reliever. I thought to use coconut oil but wondered if it would stick or just melt off.
Any suggestions?

Hi! I am a new member The first thing I would do is look at your coop set up. Is there a water source in their sleeping area? They will be spending more time in their coop so ensuring that the coop has a low low humidity will prevent frostbite. Take any water sources, add a thick layer of dry bedding, and do not heat your coop. These things can keep your humidity levels lower and prevent frost bite from happening in the first place. For now I'd recommend keeping the area dry, clean, and protected from wind.
Also, ensuring that the coop has circulation while remaining draft/wind free will help keep the humidity levels down too.

 

[Saaniya]

It seems I’m out of Vaseline for my roosters comb. It’s dropping to freezing at night now and I’m not getting to the store for a day or two. I have bacitracin on hand, also neosporin without the pain reliever. I thought to use coconut oil but wondered if it would stick or just melt off.
Any suggestions?

Lip Balm or Vitamin E capsule or Coconut Oil
or Mustard Oil or Olive Oil

 

[Saaniya]

make sure you clean everyday as oils attract more dust