Any suggestions on how to solve our frostbite problem?

[Shasty57]

Some deep litter of straw or hay helps make it warmer. I added straw and hay when this horrible weather came in. I don't use a light with the "deep litter method", I am afraid of fire. It has been told here on BYC that a light left on with straw or hay can become a fire hazard. So of course  we don't want that to happen. I feed my 9 month olds, oatmeal (just what I think they will eat at one time), spaghetti plain, they think its worms and they will devour  the whole batch. Spaghetti  is carbs and it helps bring their body temp up.  I give them some ground hamburger, cooked and cooled,  protein.   Again, it disappears quickly. Yes, the use of a temp light is fine when the cold is extreme. If you don't want to force them to lay more eggs, then I would turn the light out. They are tougher than we are. Sounds like you are doing everything right for where you are located.  It will get warmer soon we hope.   

 

[Shasty57]

Thank you

 

[cowboy1up]

My Buff Orpington rooster has frostbite. None of the 15 hens got bitten. My question is, does anyone know what happens now? Will it rot and dry up or fall off, best case scenario it grows back. Like to know. Thanks.

 

[SIMZ]

I'm really frustrated because I am in the same situation as the original poster. My coop has adequate ventilation, and my internal temp/humidity monitor indicates the indoor humidity is roughly between 40-50% on any given day. To me, that seems reasonable, as it is generally the same as or lower than external humidity (which obviously I can't control!). I do not have any frost or ice forming inside the coop. There is no water in the coop, and it is bed with very deep pine shavings and two straw bales inside along the front of the coop which is most exposed.

I have three hens with frostbite that is definitely in the black stages, not just on tips of combs but covering some portion of the comb itself. When the bad cold began, they were given vaseline on the combs as "prevention," but I don't feel that made any difference. In fact, I rubbed on so thick, that I think it matted down the short feathers around their comb and prevented them from puffing up those feathers for comb protection (which I saw my hens with pea combs doing). Once the vaseline rubbed combs became black, I applied Neosporin. This seemed to help with some temporary healing, but for 2 out of the 3, the black has not gone away (this is now about 2-3 weeks into it). When touched, the combs feel very dry and somewhat hard, though still pliable.

Two days ago I did a bit of an experiment. I have 2 Golden Comets with about the same amount of frostbite (though one has slightly longer tips left). I reapplied Neosporin to one Goldie, but not the other. The one WITH neosporin still has a pretty black comb. The one without has more red color returning. This was not what I was hoping to see.

I just don't know what else to do, but hate seeing them like this. They just can't get any relief from the cold, in or out of the coop, so I think this may be with them for awhile.

As the OP, I certainly can sympathize with you. It's incredibly frustrating to think you're doing everything right and still have this problem.

My frostbite problems have been primarily with my roosters. After our few days of below 0 temps I am seeing a bit on the hens, but only 1 has actual black on her comb. That hen has a few problems - missing feathers, and some "issue" with either vision or balance. I've suspected that for some reason she cannot tuck her head under the feathers on her back like the others.

Could that be an issue with yours?

Finally, our rooster's comb became much worse and black AFTER my husband rubbed neosporin on it. Someone told me that rubbing frostbite can make it worse. I never narrowed it down to the rubbing or the neosporin because I didn't do either again.

 

[Phoenixxx]

My Buff Orpington rooster has frostbite. None of the 15 hens got bitten. My question is, does anyone know what happens now? Will it rot and dry up or fall off, best case scenario it grows back. Like to know. Thanks.

The rooster I had last winter got bad frostbite on his comb. Once the weather warmed up, it healed back to perfectly normal. As a result, I'm not overly worried about the frostbite this winter. My boys don't seem to be bothered by it and there's nothing I can do about humidity where I am (right on the ocean -outside humidity is typically around 90%) so I just leave it.

 

[Davidally122]

I'm really frustrated because I am in the same situation as the original poster. My coop has adequate ventilation, and my internal temp/humidity monitor indicates the indoor humidity is roughly between 40-50% on any given day. To me, that seems reasonable, as it is generally the same as or lower than external humidity (which obviously I can't control!). I do not have any frost or ice forming inside the coop. There is no water in the coop, and it is bed with very deep pine shavings and two straw bales inside along the front of the coop which is most exposed.

I have three hens with frostbite that is definitely in the black stages, not just on tips of combs but covering some portion of the comb itself. When the bad cold began, they were given vaseline on the combs as "prevention," but I don't feel that made any difference. In fact, I rubbed on so thick, that I think it matted down the short feathers around their comb and prevented them from puffing up those feathers for comb protection (which I saw my hens with pea combs doing). Once the vaseline rubbed combs became black, I applied Neosporin. This seemed to help with some temporary healing, but for 2 out of the 3, the black has not gone away (this is now about 2-3 weeks into it). When touched, the combs feel very dry and somewhat hard, though still pliable.

Two days ago I did a bit of an experiment. I have 2 Golden Comets with about the same amount of frostbite (though one has slightly longer tips left). I reapplied Neosporin to one Goldie, but not the other. The one WITH neosporin still has a pretty black comb. The one without has more red color returning. This was not what I was hoping to see.

I just don't know what else to do, but hate seeing them like this. They just can't get any relief from the cold, in or out of the coop, so I think this may be with them for awhile.

Try Vetericyn VF spray daily and Eucerin Cream at night. Recommended by the Chicken Chick. She's on FB and has a website with gobs of awesome info on care and love of chickens. There' s whole section on Frostbite and Winter with Chickens. Look under "Chicken Resources Directory". Hope this helps. Tell her Allison Adams sent you

 

[SIMZ]

My Buff Orpington rooster has frostbite. None of the 15 hens got bitten. My question is, does anyone know what happens now? Will it rot and dry up or fall off, best case scenario it grows back. Like to know. Thanks.

Depending on the severity it may be fine. He will most likely lose the tips.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

The rooster I had last winter got bad frostbite on his comb. Once the weather warmed up, it healed back to perfectly normal. As a result, I'm not overly worried about the frostbite this winter. My boys don't seem to be bothered by it and there's nothing I can do about humidity where I am (right on the ocean -outside humidity is typically around 90%) so I just leave it.

My guess is you are more the exception than the rule when it comes to frostbite. I wish we were all this lucky.

It is extremely frustrating when you think you have researched to the ends of this website and back again and this sort of thing brings you to your knees in such a humbling fashion that it resets your gears. You learn there are things you just have to accept that are out of your control and you just maintain what you can and learn to "let go". --very difficult for me sometimes. The biggest lesson for me was the "letting go" part and picking the breed part when it comes to this. I will always practice good husbandry with my birds--so don't get me wrong on the "letting go" part-- but there are somethings I've learned is that everybody's advice is different and that is because they have different birds, they have different number of birds, they have different climates, they have different coops, they have different bedding,.....etc etc. etc. And always watch your own birds and see what is happening to them and take all of this advice with a grain of salt and incorporate only what you think is going to work. Last year I thought, "I am not going to have weak, unwinterized chickens."--no heat, no insulation. This year I'm thinking: "When it's -30 I'm warming that coop up and insulating with snow and foam boards on the north and west sides so it is not a cruel temperature (0 and above I'm okay with )." Funny what a year does to you.

 

[Triple Willow]

My guess is you are more the exception than the rule when it comes to frostbite.  I wish we were all this lucky.

It is extremely frustrating when you think you have researched to the ends of this website and back again and this sort of thing brings you to your knees in such a humbling fashion that it resets your gears.  You learn there are things you just have to accept that are out of your control and you just maintain what you can and learn to "let go". --very difficult for me sometimes.  The biggest lesson for me was the "letting go" part and picking the breed part when it comes to this.  I will always practice good husbandry with my birds--so don't get me wrong on the "letting go" part-- but there are somethings I've learned is that everybody's advice is different and that is because they have different birds, they have different number of birds, they have different climates, they have different coops, they have different bedding,.....etc etc. etc.  And always watch your own birds and see what is happening to them and take all of this advice with a grain of salt and incorporate only what you think is going to work.  Last year I thought, "I am not going to have weak, unwinterized chickens."--no heat, no insulation.  This year I'm thinking:  "When it's -30 I'm warming that coop up and insulating with snow and foam boards on the north and west sides so it is not a cruel temperature (0 and above I'm okay with )."  Funny what a year does to you.

Very wise post. I figure, do your very best and pray. Sooner or later we all find out that there are things in this life beyond our control.

 

[Phoenixxx]

Depending on the severity it may be fine. He will most likely lose the tips.

Have you seen this happen? My roo last year (red sex link) had a very large comb and at one point the tips were black and the grey had spread down below the tips. Spring came and it all went back to bright red. At the moment, my BA with the smallest comb is black almost to his head; the BA with a red fault and a huge comb has some graying/almost black just on the very tips; and, the mottled houdan/blue australorp x only has his tips (quite a lot of tips, as his comb splits into 2 combs halfway back!) mildly affected as well.