frost bite on comb

[juliachick]

I have a Jersey Giant that my daughter didn't realize wasn't in the coop one night last week when she locked the chickens up for the night. The temps went down around 17 degrees that night and the poor guy just kept banging his body into the coop all night and gave himself a pretty good head injjury. We thought at first a predator had tried to get him but realized later that he did it to himself. He is seemingly fine now other that some black on the tips of his comb. I have been watching him to see if it dimished thinking it may have been dried blood but at this point don't think it is. It is just the tips but am not sure if I need to get him decombed because of this. We only have one other gimpy rooster that really is more pet than protector of the flock so I really don't want to have to put this guy down. If I do have to have his comb removed does a vet do this? If I leave the little bit that I think is frostbite will it spread or cause health issues? Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Terri O]

Hi Julia--because all my chickens are in an unheated coop I have had several that the tips of their combs have frozen. They shake their heads a lot when this happens. In the past mine have healed with no intervention from me. This spring the tips will l likely be gone and you will have a smooth comb on this guy. just watch him and make sure no one picks on him too much. Terri O

 

[shay20]

You dont need to get him Dubbed, it wont spread to others.
The tips will most likely fall off. He will be fine.

 

[juliachick]

Thanks for the advice! I didn't think the other chickens would get it but thought maybe the dead frost bitten cells on his comb would cause damage to the healthy cells surrounding them. Thank goodness it won't. We have implemented a counting every night again to make sure everyone has come in for the night and this won't happen again. I have a red heat bulb in the coop since we've had some very cold days/nights here and haven't been letting them out during the days like today where it's about 10 degrees. I'm hoping the bulb will keep it warm enough. It's a good size coop w/ventilation at the top so heat may all be escaping but it's got to be better than nothing.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

you could put a cold rag on it to thaw it out, and then slather alot of vasoline on it... Im sure he would appreciate it alot!

If they are handled easily I would slather all their combs with vasoline..

 

[JakRat]

I am having a similar problem with my girls... but they have a heated coop (their upstairs) but anyway I put kids neosporin and bag balm on them... hopefully it will work out ok... they seemed to like the bag balm once I put it on and then they were like yay comb massage time... he will totally be ok!!! just watch it and make sure he doesnt run into anymore stuff (easier said than done)... no need to put down or you can send him to me cept I dont think my DH would like that to much...

Owner of the most spoiled chickens in York County PA...

 

[Shim's mom]

I have a rooster with a purple comb- is it frostbite? It was red until yesterday but the birds are semi-wild and insist on going into trees at night. Our temps have been 10 F with wind chill at 1degree. I caught this bird (shim) and have him confined in my basement.

What should I do? What should i watch for? There is a lot of conflicting info around the internet.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

Shim's mom :

I have a rooster with a purple comb- is it frostbite? It was red until yesterday but the birds are semi-wild and insist on going into trees at night. Our temps have been 10 F with wind chill at 1degree. I caught this bird (shim) and have him confined in my basement.

What should I do? What should i watch for? There is a lot of conflicting info around the internet.

Do you have a run and coop you could get them to go into during the day with treats.. lock em in and if they dont go into the coop to roost after dark put em in yourself on the roost. then keep em locked in the run a few days and if they dont go into the coop to roost at night... put em on the roost yourself again.

I did this and it only took a couple days... they figured out where home was and now they run free during the day and go home to roost in their safe coop!​

 

[Shim's mom]

Thanks, FortWorthChicks.

No I don't have a house yet, but free during the day and in at night would be what i'd want- I would not like to keep birds 'cooped up' after they have had their freedom but I do want them to be safe. I find it encouraging to here that it took you a couple of days to get yours to recognize there new accommodations as "home".

I posted more of the circumstances in the thread: # Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures
# » Neighbor's chickens are freezing to death...it's really bothering me..

Shim's comb look purple-ish, not solidly. I'm hoping the frostbite didn't penetrate the flesh very much- there is a blister forming on the tip but no blackening and he didn't seem sensitive when I touched it (gently, of course).

 

[shay20]

Shim's mom :

Thanks, FortWorthChicks.

No I don't have a house yet, but free during the day and in at night would be what i'd want- I would not like to keep birds 'cooped up' after they have had their freedom but I do want them to be safe. I find it encouraging to here that it took you a couple of days to get yours to recognize there new accommodations as "home".

I posted more of the circumstances in the thread: # Emergencies / Diseases / Injuries and Cures
# » Neighbor's chickens are freezing to death...it's really bothering me..

Shim's comb look purple-ish, not solidly. I'm hoping the frostbite didn't penetrate the flesh very much- there is a blister forming on the tip but no blackening and he didn't seem sensitive when I touched it (gently, of course).

If there is a blister forming you may want to look up wet pox.
you should seperate the bird from others till you know what it is.
And if it is wet pox, get some non sting clear iodine, and apply it to the comb about 3 times a day.​