Chickens with frostbite

[leighton3]

Hi everyone,

I could use a little advice. I am in Maine and the weather has been pretty cold recently. My ducks and chickens are in a indoor coop, it's part of our garage. The chicken coop has two heat lamps in it right now that are always on. I noticed the other day that two of my chickens (Buff Orpington and Black Giant) had a little bit of black starting on their combs. The Buff actually has some white looking tips and black. Any advice? Should I be doing anything to help or treat it? I have heard some people say its okay and the tips will eventually fall off and come back, others say to use Vaseline on the combs. I check on them twice a day and they are eating and laying regularly and full of their personalities still. Just don't want to see them get worse!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mattsiewrt94]

If there a lot of humidity in there I would use heat lamps because they can make it worse

 

[leighton3]

The ducks are pretty messy so I add dry shavings every couple of days and there is venting in the top of the coop. If I were to just raise the heat lamps higher would that help? I could try taking them out but one is used to keep their water from freezing.

 

[Didymus]

I live in Colorado, and we haven't had as cold as weather as you in the East. But it has been and unusually cold winter here.
We haven't used heat lamps, mostly because of the dangers I hear. I did find evidence of frost bit on their combs. I put Vaseline on their combs every day. Made sure the coop had ventilation from the top. Now that it is not freezing all the time, their combs are again bright red and not black or white.

Although I have read about the dangers of heated water bowls, we got a good one. Our cord is heavily wrapped with wire, so they can't peck it. Even though, we don't leave the cord inside the coop. They don't even seem to bother with it when they are out during the day.

I guess they are pretty hardy critters!

 

[leighton3]

Thank you so much! I did get vasaline but I haven't tried it yet. I'll put it on them today. I have only looked at a couple of heated waterers but haven't found anything I like yet. Maybe I should just get one anyways! It is supposed to warm up this week I think so hopefully that will help. I was surprised because the orpington and black giant are both cold hearty breeds from everything I have read and yet they both seem to have it.

 

[Didymus]

I am sure they are hearty, but I guess their little "ears" are exposed too much. If it is going to warm up, then maybe you don't need a water heater right now. I just had too much worry about the no water thing. And tired of checking to see if they had water every hour. It worked for me, good luck.

I so worried about their feet and being cold too. But whenever they were in their coop, I could feel they were warm and even their feet. My first time, so I guess I just worried too much. But they are all great, and hardly ever missed a beat laying eggs. I thought they were supposed to not lay so many during the winter. But they didn't.

 

[leighton3]

This is my first winter with the birds too! I didn't think to check their feet, I should try that tonight. I wouldn't even notice frostbite on the Black Giants because her feet are very dark green/black. Mine also have been laying every day or every other day still! I hope Spring comes soon so I can worry about them less!