Badly frostbitten legs, is amputation the only thing left to do?

[Chicken lover1980]

So a friend rescued two roosters who spent more then a week outside in the winter. They both have bad frostbite on their legs. On one of the roosters it’s legs are cold and they won’t bend anymore. Is there anything that can be done? I advised aloe Vera on his legs as well as feeding spices to warm him up.

 

[casportpony]

So sad. I think euthanasia might be the better option.

 

[HappyClucker7]

@Allsfairinloveandbugs

 

[LaFleche]

Poor guys! I would put them out of their misery ASAP.

 

[Battlepants]

Sadly, I would have to agree with the other members here, those legs are never going to recover and will get worse until it kills the chicken. In the slim chance he survives the amputation, all that remains is a miserable life. The only thing to do is offer a quick painless sending off.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have had birds get their feet so frozen they can't bend before, and I have never been able to save the foot. And amputation wont work often. The bird will still try to use the foot, which will continuously bust open if it is kept as a pegleg and doesn't have a fake foot.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

@Allsfairinloveandbugs

There is nothing you can do to save the feet. The tissue is already dead, and the only thing you can do is keep them clean and dry so they don't become infected. It's now a waiting game for them to auto-amputate. The left foot and shank will be lost up to the spur, maybe a little higher, and the right will be lost above the spur.

There are several current ongoing frostbite threads where people have decided to spare their bird's lives and deal with their handicap and special needs. Whether you decide to also follow that path is entirely up to you. People can tell you what They would do, but no one should tell you what You should do. Your decision should also take into consideration how receptive the roosters are temperment-wise to being handled, both now and in the future. Some hens (and roosters) in my flock have very flighty and fearful temperments, & I would be forced to euthanize in your situation. Others in my flock have sweet, calm and docile temperments, and I would be able to treat and help them adapt to their handicap. Very sorry to see their dead and blackened feet.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Youalso have to realize that frostbite isnt the only worry. Gangrene is also really bad and if you miss catching it immediately amd agressively treating it, that will almost certainly only cause more suffering. The body will lose weight as it tries to combat the infection from spreading

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

@Chicken Vet Of Our Flock , you do Not want to surgically amputate the feet. If you decide to spare the roosters, allow the natural auto-amputation process to take place. The remaining live tissue would be more susceptible to infection if you surgically amputated. The frostbite injuries do need to be kept clean and dry, or they could still get infected. Blackened dead frostbitten tissue Is gangrene, but it is dry gangrene. Dry gangrene isn't infection. If the injured tissue gets infected, it can then become wet gangrene, and that Is life-threatening.

Many (including me) have chosen not to get fake feet for their birds, since that would entail the amputee learning to walk all over again on fake feet, after they have learned to maneuver on their stumps. The key is the stumps need to be Very well padded and wrapped, or yes they can be vulnerable to recurring bleeding and/or bruising. Again, I'm not telling you what I think you should do with your roosters; I'm only mentioning some pertinent facts in case others seeking frostbite info discover your thread. Be at peace with whatever decision you make.

The cuckoo Marans hen with the purple wraps in the photo lost her feet to frostbite February 2021. Her stumps eventually healed, and she has resumed enjoying her life.