Bag Balm: when to apply for winter protection?

[jeepgrrl]

You can apply a light coat of bag balm or vaseline to the combs and wattles when they go to roost for the night. Don't leave it too gooey as everything sticks to it. Every other day is probably sufficient when the temps will drop below freezing.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I rather be safe than sorry so have been applying bag balm to my flock. Just my opinion.

Thank you for the response! I'm relatively new at being a chicken tender and this will be my first winter taking care of my girls.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Thank you for the advice! I tend to worry too much when it comes to my feather and fur babies!

Same over here!

I get any new animal and I over analyze everything to the point when I got these chickens my hubby said, “And don’t get weird about them.”

 

[tigger19687]

Anyone else use it also on YOUR HANDS & FEET ?
I have old cotton socks I wear on my hands when I slather on at night during the Winter or anytime my hands start to get chapped.
BEFORE they get too chapped works best.
Feet too.

Most up in N.E. know this trick, and I think ALL Vermonters know too
I use 1 big can a year, Was 10 oz now 8 oz. They also sell in a tiny can, 1-2 oz?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Anyone else use it also on YOUR HANDS & FEET ?
I have old cotton socks I wear on my hands when I slather on at night during the Winter or anytime my hands start to get chapped.
BEFORE they get too chapped works best.
Feet too.

Most up in N.E. know this trick, and I think ALL Vermonters know too
I use 1 big can a year, Was 10 oz now 8 oz. They also sell in a tiny can, 1-2 oz?

I have done this with my hands when they’ve gotten super chapped.

 

[jeepgrrl]

Same over here!

I get any new animal and I over analyze everything to the point when I got these chickens my hubby said, “And don’t get weird about them.”

My hubby and yours must be from the same gene pool - that is something he would say!

 

[greggooo]

I just added more ventilation, and also have a hygrometer. I was shocked tonight that the humidity level in the coop is 71% and it's 30º outside. But outside it 80% humidity at the moment. How can I possibly keep the humidity down in the coop if the outside humidity is so high?

 

[aart]

I just added more ventilation, and also have a hygrometer. I was shocked tonight that the humidity level in the coop is 71% and it's 30º outside. But outside it 80% humidity at the moment. How can I possibly keep the humidity down in the coop if the outside humidity is so high?

You can't...unless you seal the coop up like a human house and install a complete HVAC system.

Our climates are similar, I think the worst time for frostbite is now, when the air is still full of humidity and the temps drop.

I have just come to accept that there will be frostbite, mostly the mild grayish type, and also the severe black necrotic type. Comb tips will be lost, some swelling may occur, but I leave hands off - eyes on. Messing with damaged tissues just introduces bacteria that can become a serious systemic infection. Had one boy with seriously swollen wattles, swelling went down after a few days, half his wattles died and fell off..a couple months later you could hardly see the paper thin scars.

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't have the humidity some of you deal with, but I do have the temperatures. I have had some tips lost, some spots show up, but mine do not seem bothered by it, and heal up so one can hardly see it.

 

[greggooo]

You can't...unless you seal the coop up like a human house and install a complete HVAC system.

Our climates are similar, I think the worst time for frostbite is now, when the air is still full of humidity and the temps drop.

I have just come to accept that there will be frostbite, mostly the mild grayish type, and also the severe black necrotic type. Comb tips will be lost, some swelling may occur, but I leave hands off - eyes on. Messing with damaged tissues just introduces bacteria that can become a serious systemic infection. Had one boy with seriously swollen wattles, swelling went down after a few days, half his wattles died and fell off..a couple months later you could hardly see the paper thin scars.

I got product that the Chicken Chick recommended called Mushers. It's a wax for animal feet for the winter. I've been trying that and hoping. Luckily, my hens only have little tiny combs and beards, my rooster has a beard also but has a bigger comb, so I am mostly concerned with that. He did get a touch of frostbite one night when it dropped to 28 and was humid. Hoping that it helps him. He didn't have any this morning and it was 29 and 80% humid last night.

 

[aart]

beard

'Beard' as in feathers around the face?
How often will you have to reapply the wax?