Frost bite? Back of comb blueish black, but smells sweet.

[miss heny]

My little rooster comb is a bluish black on the back, has this liquid oozing out and smells sweet.





Please help, he is a just a two year old mutt but he is one of our best roosters.

 

[Alaskan]

I think that is just simply frostbite.

I got to say though, I don't think I have ever taken the time to smell frostbit combs.

It looks like it will heal perfectly on its own. I wouldn't do anything to it.

As whatever parts decide to fall off, there is usually some blood or a little oozing fluid, but I have never had a problem with frostbit comb edges. (toes are a completely different story)

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, you should make sure than none of your other chickens decide to peck at it. I haven't had that problem, but I always watch carefully with healing frostbite, since just one drop of blood can be enough to set some chickens off.

 

[miss heny]

None of the birds would be foolish enough to do that with him, he is the head man. No hen has ever peck him on the head.

 

[Alaskan]

Then keep an eye on it, but don't do anything, or worry about it.

It will keep changing appearance. A bit of a line will develop between the good and the bad flesh, then the bad stuff starts to fall away, sometimes with a bit of blood and then scabbing.

I don't know why so many people panic and spend all sorts of time scrubbing and applying anti-biotic. None of the frostbite, on comb or wattle edges, of my birds has ever become infected. I have never treated it in any way. I just keep an eye on it.

I know it isn't because there are no germs in Alaska, because my kids have gotten infected cuts.

 

[miss heny]

We live in MS, hence why I am worried, with all the mud we get in the winter I want to make sure he doesn't get the infection.

 

[Justins Wife]

My rooster also got frostbite on his comb about 3 weeks ago. On advice from my daddy, I did nothing to it, and Fudgie is fine. It did bleed a little, but that was it!

 

[Alaskan]

We did warm up two weeks back and get mud and standing water. And I do have some roosters and hens with frostbite, none have gotten infected.