Frost Bite on tips of comb

[Engine823]

This is probably one of my favorite topics. Stop with the hazardous heat lamps! There are two excellent and not too pricey items you can give your poor chickens in these very cold conditions: One is a heat panel plugged into a cube and thermostatically controlled between 35 and 45, and the other is the chicken therm-o-pads sold all over the internet (40-watt) for wall mount or floor. Both are ultra safe, and the later will even keep your bowl of water from freezing if you want to keep it inside the coop. I have 6 coops. I have the panels and the pads in all of them. LOVE THEM. So do my pet chickens/ducks. For those of you who think your chickens do not prefer warmth, I have proven they do prefer warmth over and over again. I've heard people say, "what if the electric goes out, or what if they get used to it and then do not have it". What if...what if. So get a back up generator. I did. There is always something you can do. If your birds are pets, then treat them as such. My ducks will stay outside in their windproof chain-link pens, and swim in their pools that I wouldn't think of putting my toe in, but when the temps go down in the teens, they march right up the ramp and into their coop, because they love the warmth of the coop.

Thats the coolest thing I've ever seen!!! Thank you! Question how far away from the thermo pads does the heat radiate? I see its wall mounted. If I put two on the back wall of the coop directly behind the perch would it be enough to keep my 4 chickens warm??
Oh I researched a little more and it says it provides no radiate heat

 

[Engine823]

Well here is sara's comb. It looks pretty rough in this pic. I had just put some vasoline on it. Second pic is the girls enjoying some warm oatmeal for breakfast.
Temps dropped to -2 last night but the 75 watt bulb seemed to keep it about 7 degrees in the area of the perch. They slept under the light all night.
The other hens combs are not as like this
Just noticed sara has warm oatmeal on her beak
Their heads are so dirty because the vasoline catches all the dirt when they scratch around

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Oh I researched a little more and it says it provides no radiate heat

If it's warm it's radiating heat. I have no idea what they meant by that statement.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I wonder, since she's the only one with frostbite if she roosts closest to the wall?

 

[Engine823]

I wonder, since she's the only one with frostbite if she roosts closest to the wall?

Not sure on that. She for sure has the biggest comb of all the other hens. The barr rocks combs are tiny in comparison. the other isa browns comb is about half the size.
As to the frostbite on sara do you all think it is about average to what you have seen yourself in other birds or if its extreme? Their feet and wattles look normal

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Not sure on that. She for sure has the biggest comb of all the other hens. The barr rocks combs are tiny in comparison. the other isa browns comb is about half the size.
As to the frostbite on sara do you all think it is about average to what you have seen yourself in other birds or if its extreme? Their feet and wattles look normal

I've never had a bird with frostbite personally, but from the photos I have seen here on BYC it looks like a fairly mild case.

 

[Engine823]

Are there any further people who have experienced frostbite that could weigh in on how extreme this looks?

 

[Engine823]

I believe Sara's comb looks a lot better.

 

[Engine823]

Larger pic is before and thumbnail is today. Sorry if this is confusing

If there is a moderator who is more computer literate than me I give you permission to do a side beside with these two pics

 

[bobbi-j]

Sometimes frostbite happens regardless of what you do. Large-combed birds are, naturally, more prone to it. I wouldn't keep putting Vaseline on it. I would think rubbing it would cause her some discomfort or pain, and you've already found out it doesn't seem to be helping.