BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[CanadianBuckeye]

Could I get an opinion on this - what am I seeing on the tips of Monkey's comb here? Good grief, this isn't frostbite, is it?!






He has an ENORMOUS comb (I swear, it has to be when they grow up in the really hot weather here), and it's occasionally a little purple on the blade. Today it has these purple tips (not swollen or anything). It was cold for the first real time this year last night/this morning, low of 34F for a couple hours. He lives in a tractor coop with good ventilation but protection from the wind (where I have successfully housed other chickens through the winter including several freezes without incident).

Thoughts?

- Ant Farm

I had more trouble with frost bite when the temperature was just under freezing, but the air was very humid, than when it got very cold but dry. I would call that frostbite if I saw it on one of my roosters. I don't know what can be done- the outside air is even more humid than the coop air this time of year, where we are. Can't even vent.

 

[GabrielBane]

Jeez, I don't think I've ever experienced Frost-bite in my birds (I'd be really considering a move from Fl if I ever did. Right back to the Caribbean with me!)




The past three morning have sounded like a terrible murder scene.... turns out the boys are trying their crows out already.

 

[DesertChic]

Good to know! Seems really weird because it WASN'T that cold, and ventilation is good. (I've also noticed the purpling with big combs on and off during the day for my boys.)

Went out to look with my red headlamp, and since this is an earlier "model" of my tractor coop, the roof is a little lower than in the others, and where he sits onto roost, he very well may have had his comb against cold HW cloth. I may lower their roosts a couple inches.

We'll see tomorrow... So, by treat, you mean vaseline? Everything sort of said to leave it alone, but wasn't sure...

- Ant Farm

Vaseline is definitely the old stand-by. I've also spoken to people who prefer VetRx. I keep containers of both for those "just in case" moments.

 

[Molpet]

@Fire Ant Farm it looks like frost bite, but if it's purple it also could be a heart or circulation condition.. more common in meat birds, but also in other breeds

eta red pepper in the feed is supposed to help with both

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Thanks for all the input. Well, looked at it this AM, a couple points are still this same color, but no progressing, swelling, darkening, whiteness, etc. Just looks... a bit blue/purple. Blade is red again. Wonder if it is frostbite or not - will have to monitor.

With regard to circulation troubles - I had also already wondered that (and will continue to wonder). He's the largest of the Marans boys I had, and I actually kept him because of his impressive size (originally wasn't planning to keep any boys). I have two cockerels with these enormous straight combs. Both occasionally have purpling in the blade. The other is a very healthy smallish cream legbar cock bird. So I also am wondering if this just sometimes happens with a boy who has such a profoundly ginormous comb...

- Ant Farm

 

[lpatelski]

What breed was he? He looks mighty tasty though! How do you determine poor genetics to hold back for breeding? Would it be weight gain or lack thereof? Colors, to me color of plumage is not mandatory, as they are going to be processed but I do know that I like looking at Pretty things just like the next person, lol, so it would be an added bonus to have pretty colors! Perhaps the quality of plumage? I can see if there are defects in the comb, feet, and tail for passing on the traits, but how do you know for sure it is a genetic issue and not just something that developed due to lack of nutrients or condition of environment?

50% Dark Cornish/50%CX (bred back to a) 50% Dark Cornish/50%CX
Genetically turned out to be like a fast growing CX/CX. Walked three steps and sat down together with poor feet. Also I detected symptoms of an enlarged heart. Which I was correct. Just not the genetics I am shooting for.

Nutrition:

30% protein starter
22% protein grower
Constant supply of vitamin/mineral supplement in the water.
Environment indoors - non stress

poor CX genetics

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Mystery solved.

Doing chicken chores today, I checked carefully under the waterer in Monkey's coop. Under a thin layer of dry shavings, the bedding was soaked the rest of the way down - the waterer was either leaking or, more likely, the boys keep knocking it about when they're rambunctious. So that would explain frostbite, I'm thinking. I stirred up and dispersed the wet bedding and added lots of dry, and moved the waterer outside.

Thanks for the input everyone!

- Ant Farm

 

[CanadianBuckeye]

Mystery solved.

Doing chicken chores today, I checked carefully under the waterer in Monkey's coop. Under a thin layer of dry shavings, the bedding was soaked the rest of the way down - the waterer was either leaking or, more likely, the boys keep knocking it about when they're rambunctious. So that would explain frostbite, I'm thinking. I stirred up and dispersed the wet bedding and added lots of dry, and moved the waterer outside.

Thanks for the input everyone!

- Ant Farm

Chicken watering......... I have more trouble with that than any other part of chicken husbandry. I have yet to find a satisfactory chicken waterer. Those upside down waterers have been banished from my indoor coops. I just use small rubber horse watering buckets attached with a clip to the side of the coop. It's a lot of work though changing the water three times a day in the winter.

 

[GabrielBane]

Watering has always been a challenge for us as well. We just line 4 bricks up to make a square, put a little mesh over the hole, and then place the waterers in the middle (if they're outdoors, in the brooders, I just change water 6-8 times a day for the NNs. they kick like kangaroos....), and that has solved some of the messiness, but otherwise, automatic watering has been our most efficient system.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:

Watering has always been a challenge for us as well. We just line 4 bricks up to make a square, put a little mesh over the hole, and then place the waterers in the middle (if they're outdoors, in the brooders, I just change water 6-8 times a day for the NNs. they kick like kangaroos....), and that has solved some of the messiness, but otherwise, automatic watering has been our most efficient system.

I'm glad it's not just me. I really need to figure something out that works better. Agree that watering is the source of the bulk of the time and work that goes into my chicken-keeping...

- Ant Farm