Frost bite

[Ourminizoo2021]

I live in northern NB and weve been having a decent winter but have some days it gets pretty cold and ive noticed some of my chickens are getting frost bite ones with large combs..i know we will get more cold days so im wondering if i need to put some sort of heat source for them etc. I feel awful... Ill attach pics( first pic is my hen other two is my rooster)

 

[Eggcessive]

It can be hard to completely prevent frostbite in wattles and combs in freezing weather. Raising waterers or using nipple waterers may help, but keeping water thawed can be challenging. I use electric dog bowl waterers set up at shoulder height. Preventing moisture and high humidity, keeping them from getting combs or wattles wet, making sure bedding is dry, and having good ventilation over their heads without direct drafts is best. Using vaseline or other creams and ointments can actually cause more frostbite. Unless they are very swollen and runny, I would let them heal on their own. Most combs that are frostbitten will eventually become smaller and more rounded off. Heating coops is usually not necessary or even safe, since they need to be able to tolerate the cold temperatures outside of the coop. We read here of so many coop fires in winter caused by trying to heat coops with heat lamps, so I discourage that.

 

[Eggcessive]

Here are some articles about frostbite prevention and care:
https://the-chicken-chick.com/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes/

https://poultry.extension.org/articles/poultry-health/frostbite-in-chickens/

 

[Ourminizoo2021]

It can be hard to completely prevent frostbite in wattles and combs in freezing weather. Raising waterers or using nipple waterers may help, but keeping water thawed can be challenging. I use electric dog bowl waterers set up at shoulder height. Preventing moisture and high humidity, keeping them from getting combs or wattles wet, making sure bedding is dry, and having good ventilation over their heads without direct drafts is best. Using vaseline or other creams and ointments can actually cause more frostbite. Unless they are very swollen and runny, I would let them heal on their own. Most combs that are frostbitten will eventually become smaller and more rounded off. Heating coops is usually not necessary or even safe, since they need to be able to tolerate the cold temperatures outside of the coop. We read here of so many coop fires in winter caused by trying to heat coops with heat lamps, so I discourage that.

The water thing defintely doesnt help the situation since they love to play in the water.. I ordered a heated one arriving i think end of next week and im probably gonna take it out at night...