Emergency please give edvice

homestead 101

Songster
9 Years
Jan 31, 2016
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I have 1 hen with really bad frostbite, and two with just Minor injury. But the weird thing is I have another hen with the bigger comb and she has no sign of frost bite what can I do to prevent and help treat this. Please help

More bedding
Clean coop

What should I do
 
Something you can do for the ones with frost bite, is massage the area to promote blood flow. It might help with the frostbite, but wont cure it completely. The coop should be draft free but well ventilated. What injuries do the other two have?
 
I have a few roosters that have had substantial frostbite on their combs from sleeping in trees in winter, and its never caused any long term problems for me, the best thing you can do is just massage the tips to try to get some blood flowing, and make sure the coop is
dyr, draft free, and ventilated to keep moisture from settling on the combs. Frostbite can also be caused by the birds standing in cold wind for extended periods of time
 
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There is nothing you can do for the blackened parts of the comb: they are likely dead and will fall off eventually on their own, leaving healthy tissue underneath. I would, however,gently coat the comb with vaseline and/or antibiotic ointment to moisturize the injured areas, guard against infection, and help prevent further damage.

If you can keep the hen inside for a little while, that would be a good idea. I would also make sure your coop has plenty of ventilation (without direct drafts on the birds) and is dry (cleaning out moist droppings can help with this). Beyond that, you could consider adding a safe heat source to the coop, such as a secure, well-wired heat lamp or small space heater kept out of contact with any birds.
 
I really hate to contradict someone on here that is trying to help (sorry Joycespell--no harm meant,) but most experts recommend to not massage a frostbitten comb or other tissue. Can you post any pictures of the affected chickens? Here is some good information to read:
http://articles.extension.org/pages/70255/frostbite-in-chickens
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/12/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html

No problem lol. Just saying what I did for my boys:)
 

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