De-wattle?

[MyraNC]

Let me ask, if you lived in the North Pole would you buy a convertable? It wouldn't be fesible would it? I say they same goes for chickens, if you live in an area that has such extreme cold that it is harmful for them to live you shouldn't have them. It is very selfish to go to such extremes as cutting parts off a chicken when they need them for some reason. Cut off the tip of your nose and see if it hurts. Just as much as it does to cut parts off a chicken. I have strong feelings about this. If the weather gets that bad and you can't have heat lamps on than find another job or hobby.




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[vermontgal]

I've decided I don't like worrying about my chicken's combs when it gets cold, so my next birds are all going to have pea combs (EE and Chanteclers!). This seems much better than dubbing. Dub through genetics, not with scissors. There are options for chickens with combs and wattles that don't need to be dubbed, even if you are a believer in dubbing.

 

[poussin_noir]

Quote:
What about hot climates? I think far more chickens suffered the heat this summer and died, should A\\C be installed in the coops for them then?
My Rooster got his wattles wet and the edges frostbit, he then started to rip chunks out of them and ate the lower half of his wattles. I had to dub them for his own safety am I to feel ashamed for helping him?

 

[snowydiamonds]

I also dubbed my BO's comb and wattles this past Saturday night after he suffered a week of frostbite. He feels much more himself, today, on Sunday. His breed was listed as a "Cold Hearty Breed" so while I was doing my research, I ordered only cold hearty breeds, Buff Orps along w/Wyandottes.

My first year with chickens, I had only RIR's and they were housed in a small coop which was not insulated but had ventilation and four heat lamps. This year I had more flocks and the largest coop houses two flocks and is not as warm as the smaller coops. This year I have oil filled and sealed electric heaters but my roo had a very tall comb and very long wattles. Their heater turned off when the fuse box switch flipped off in the middle of the night and their heat lamps over their water buckets were turned off so they could sleep well. When I woke up, the damage was done.

I do not want to lose one of my two favorite roo's so I researched and asked guidance, looking at other's posts about the same problem and decided to try to save my roo as the other person who did not decide to dub and no one mentioned the possibility of dubbing to that person, on another post on this forum informed all who read, her roo died.

I'm happy others gave me encouragement and my roo is on the mend, today and tonight. I took pics today, to share that he's doing much better now. Prior to dubbing, with the frostbite, all he wanted to do was sleep constantly. He wasn't interested in life at all, just sleep and I was very worried about him.

I wouldn't have decided on BO's if they hadn't listed that breed as cold hearty. I didn't have the experience to think their comb or wattles might be a problem as this is only my second year having chickens. I have also taken veterinarian assistant classes the past three winters so I thought I was being as responsible as possible.

I am learning something every day and believe I've saved my roo with the helpful knowledge shared by others on this forum. Otherwise, I'd have left him to sleep, wait and see if he survived. That would have been awful to have stood by and done nothing, compared to how he's actively involved in his hen's lives again.

I'd like to say right now, Thank You, to those that cared and guided me. Brewster seems to be his beautiful self again. Thank You so much. It was a hard thing for me to do for my wonderful roo but it was the best thing to see him back to himself today!

 

[Poohbear]

When I first posted on dubbing, I assumed it was for the welfare of the fowl and not the feelings of the people who owned them. MyraNC, I can only assume you are still a child to enter such a silly post sbout "Cutting off your nose" and "would you buy a convertible". I try to supply an informed educated and time tested answer to questions about improving the health, happiness and longevity of fowl. Name calling and silliness is not a part of my nature. I have raised THOSANDS of fowl and at some early point knew I had to study and work hard to keep them alive, productive, healthy and happy. "Feeding" wild life with my fowl is not and option. Treating my fowl like humans is not an option (you DO understand they are not human, don't you?). Fowling is NOT a hobby for me. It is a way of life. If you would like to do a nice thing for the folks that enjoy their fowl, instead of calling names, then start a post listing the breeds of cold weather fowl and hot weather fowl. We (I) can NEVER have enough information on the best birds for our locations. I'm sure many others would find that subject interesting too.