- Apr 15, 2008
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Been reading the posts regarding this on here, but I am not 100% clear on when it is necessary to do it. Poor Axel, our rose comb brown leghorn has some seriously frostbit wattles. Despite vaseline, the -20 temps we have had here lately have been too much for them. The chickens have been kept inside whenever it is below freezing, but the barn is unheated and not particularly warm. He has HUGE wattles, and I suppose they drag in the water when he drinks. Anyway, at first they were covered in grey/white crust-now they have been mostly black for several days.
So, this means the tissue is dead, correct?
Is it necessary to remove it, or should I let it fall off on its own? it is black, stiff-not smelly, oozy or greenish. It does not look infectd, just dead.
He does not appear to be in pain, is not lethargic, eating fine. I have been continuing to rub vaseline on them and he doesnt seem to mind it-so I am thinking they aren't hurting him...but I thought I read somewhere that if I leave them alone he could get infection and die, which of course I dont want!
His rose-comb fared better, just a few black tips on some of the points- should I do anything with them, or leave them alone?
Also, Slash, our Speckled Sussex has a little bit of frostbite on his comb. Wattles are fine. His comb is gigantic, but amazingly has only a few spots here and there, which are also black. He too seems no worse for wear and I am wondering if I should leave well enough alone and let his body deal with it.
So, can someone tell me when I MUST step in, or if I can wait and watch for now, WHAT should I watch for?
So, this means the tissue is dead, correct?
Is it necessary to remove it, or should I let it fall off on its own? it is black, stiff-not smelly, oozy or greenish. It does not look infectd, just dead.
He does not appear to be in pain, is not lethargic, eating fine. I have been continuing to rub vaseline on them and he doesnt seem to mind it-so I am thinking they aren't hurting him...but I thought I read somewhere that if I leave them alone he could get infection and die, which of course I dont want!
His rose-comb fared better, just a few black tips on some of the points- should I do anything with them, or leave them alone?
Also, Slash, our Speckled Sussex has a little bit of frostbite on his comb. Wattles are fine. His comb is gigantic, but amazingly has only a few spots here and there, which are also black. He too seems no worse for wear and I am wondering if I should leave well enough alone and let his body deal with it.
So, can someone tell me when I MUST step in, or if I can wait and watch for now, WHAT should I watch for?
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