Frost Bitten Feet

[TRChickenRanch]

Just an update on Frosty........after weeks of alot of TLC, intensive foot care and special meals both her feet fell off

It was a challenge but so worth it. She got very used to being handled and even put up with laying on her back while I bandaged her feet when they started to fall off.
We were quite worried about when her feet would fall off and what to expect but it was pretty anti-climactic. The first one came off one evening at Christmas when the family was playing a game and my step daughter looked over at Frosty and said "HER FOOT FELL OFF!". and so it did. Frosty didn't make a sound, it was like nothing had happened.
Today the second foot fell off and again no big deal.
She is in a great mood, better than she has been. She is working on her balance and has been chatty all morning.
She did not have any problems with infection which we were very happy for. She did however have a difficult time getting around prior to them falling off. It's hard to walk when you can't feel your feet.
As you can see in the pictures her little nubs are healing up nicely and will only be wrapped for comfort while they toughen up.
She will now be our house chicken until the spring and we can introduce her back to the coop.

I just want to thank everyone for the great advice and links to help me out with this, I don't think our outcome would have been the same otherwise.
Frosty thanks you too.

 

[Eggcessive]

Oh, poor baby. I'm hoping she toughens up her little stubs, and is able to get around in the future. Many people would have culled her, but it is great that you had the time and patients to give her a chance.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh this makes me cry. You did such a good job saving her life! I hope she can hop around OK after she heals.

What a cutie-pie she is.

 

[TRChickenRanch]

It's amazing how well she gets around now. Compared to before they fell off. She was so excited today it was like night and day,she hardly used her wings at all.
I think she will be just fine once she learns to walk on them again. We will have to keep an eye on her if or when she goes back with her buddies. Plans are already in the works for her own coop inside the coop so she won't feel left out.

 

[nab58]

Was the temperature really -40C????? I tried to convert that to Fahrenheit but it came back as -40F....which is still unbelievable.

 

[ten chicks]

Was the temperature really -40C????? I tried to convert that to Fahrenheit but it came back as -40F....which is still unbelievable.

In Manitoba,Canada we had for a couple of days -40 C with wind chill -51,this is extreme,but -40 C very common and -36 C almost daily(this is without wind chill),we are hardy people,and well versed in frostbite issues. Lol

My coop is heated,but my birds are in the house(mudroom)-51 C way too cold for my silkies.

 

[nab58]

We're expecting possible -10f (-23c) maybe even colder tonight and tomorrow.....do you think a heat lamp will be necessary for 2 days max until it warms up again?

I'd hate to see my chickens feet fall off.

 

[TRChickenRanch]

I hope you made it through your cold snap....
All winter we have heat lamps in both our coops, it is more to keep the water from freezing. It does help a bit to keep the chill off but for the most part the chickens are very hardy.
They cope well normally but this was a mistake I made when Frosty froze her feet.
Their perches have to be big enough for their feet to lay flat so they can tuck them up underneath them and keep them warm, if their toes curl down they are exposed and could freeze.
I had a cinder block to keep the heat lamp stand stable and Frosty perched on it, her feet froze on it.
I have since gotten rid of the cinder blocks and have given them bigger perches.
We had had some nasty weather(a couple nights of -38) and they have all fared well.

Frosty is getting stronger everyday and is enjoying her physio therapy lol.
She gets to run around the house for at least an hour everyday to work on her balance and stretch her wings.
She's quite funny, she follows us around the kitchen waiting for a treat, she's as bad as the dogs hahaha.

(I forgot to add the original quote of nab58.....just getting the hang of this I posted it again below sorry for the repeat)

 

[TRChickenRanch]

Was the temperature really -40C????? I tried to convert that to Fahrenheit but it came back as -40F....which is still unbelievable.

~~I hope you made it through your cold snap.... All winter we have heat lamps in both our coops, it is more to keep the water from freezing. It does help a bit to keep the chill off but for the most part the chickens are very hardy. They cope well normally but this was a mistake I made when Frosty froze her feet. Their perches have to be big enough for their feet to lay flat so they can tuck them up underneath them and keep them warm, if their toes curl down they are exposed and could freeze. I had a cinder block to keep the heat lamp stand stable and Frosty perched on it, her feet froze on it. I have since gotten rid of the cinder blocks and have given them bigger perches. We had had some nasty weather(a couple nights of -38) and they have all fared well. Frosty is getting stronger everyday and is enjoying her physio therapy lol. She gets to run around the house for at least an hour everyday to work on her balance and stretch her wings. She's quite funny, she follows us around the kitchen waiting for a treat, she's as bad as the dogs hahaha.

 

[nab58]

how can she run with no feet? You've got to get a video of that!