Frostbite bleeding everywhere

[cmlew99]

Hi everyone, I'd really appreciate some help. I have a buff orpington rooster here that got frostbite a few weeks ago. Since then I've been applying Bag Balm (every.single.night), and I also noticed the blackness spread within the first few days of me first noticing the black tips. Here is him the first day...

And it has gotten much messier since then. The poor fellow! The hens have been fussing with it, biting him every once in a while so I apply Blu Kote, but recently I noticed lots of blood. There is blood splattered on the walls, and on the feeder, its not good!

Is this blood from the pecking? Or is it a natural stage of frostbite? Taking him inside is not an option for me. The Blu Kote I've been applying has worn off faster than usual too, why is that?

When I went to apply more bag balm tonight, I saw that his comb was bleeding even more. It was welling on the tips of his comb, so I took a sterile pad dipped in warm water and dabbed it, then quickly dried it with another sterile pad. Then I rubbed a little bit of flour onto it to try and stop the bleeding, then I added Blu Kote, and attempted to add more bag balm but I feared starting the bleeding again.

I'm so stressed- it just keeps getting worse and worse! If I open any more windows there will be drafts blowing on them, I clean out the poop almost every day. I don't know what else to do!

 

[enola]

You need to separate him from the hens. They will peck anything that looks different. Your blu cote is not sticking because of the bag balm you are putting on his comb. As long as the hens keep pecking his frost bite, it will not heal.

 

[PirocaKeeper]

I also live in Massachusetts and it has been a trying winter for my chickens too. The wind in the last 2 storms, the amount of snow and the bitter cold is not helping. I would say continue to put Vaseline (petroleum gel), but don't rub it, just dab it gently. It helps. The damage from the frostbite is not going to go away, just right away. Keep him as away from the wind as possible. Sometimes they bleed because they scratch, they shake their heads because it stings and if the hens are pecking at it, that is really bad, because they can get in the habit of pecking at blood and that in itself can bring a bigger problem. Perhaps if you place something on Vaseline you are about to apply, something bitter, that would deter the hens from pecking, that may help. I know there was a remedy, I just can't think of it at the moment.

Try not to stress too much, I know you want to do the best for him. Close up as much as you can in your coop, without sealing it. Especially in the colder days like we are having now. I have a coop with 2 windows and I close the doors and both windows and only leave like 2 inches open in one of the windows (in extremely cold days only), when it is going to be 20's and up I open a tiny more. Today was -8F in the morning here. The tips of the comb may fall and that would cause him to bleed, but he will grow some back when it gets warmer. You know sort of like when you have a booboo and it seems like everything is hitting it, it is one of those things. He wont die because of the frostbites he has in this picture. As a matter of fact when I had orpington rooster that is exactly what they look like in the winter as much as I watched them and took care of them. What you see in his feathers is a combination of blood and the stuff you put in, because as good as it is for them, they try to get it off their comb. That said I keep putting the stuff, because it really helps them. Handsome roo you have.

 

[justplainbatty]

The blood spatter you are seeing is just from him shaking his head. Makes it look like a crime scene, worse than it actually is. I would try putting triple antibiotic and Rooster Booster no pick cover up lotion on his comb. It will help him heal faster and his comb won't taste too good. You should separate him until he is no longer actively bleeding. chickens love blood and will keep going after it. You can put him in a dog crate or large carrier (with food and water) inside the coop for a couple days. You could also try sectioning him off in there with chicken wire.

 

[cmlew99]

Thank you everyone for your responses, they were all very helpful! Thats a good idea about putting the dog crate inside the coop. The only problem with that is my hen with a respiratory disease was living in there from back in December, so I'll need to disinfect in somehow… Where can I get the Rooster Booster Lotion?

I guess I'll just see how he is in the morning and go from there. I'm glad that in your experience the chickens have come back from this, I don't want to lose him! I feel so bad, because that picture was when it first started, but now his neck is full of the blackish stuff (dirt caked on to his feathers) and he looks very dirty.

Thank you again!

 

[jgoldy2]

My head show rooster had frostbite too, I left him alone and the hens couldn't care less, then three weeks after he had it I picked it off him like a scab

 

[justplainbatty]

Thank you everyone for your responses, they were all very helpful! Thats a good idea about putting the dog crate inside the coop. The only problem with that is my hen with a respiratory disease was living in there from back in December, so I'll need to disinfect in somehow… Where can I get the Rooster Booster Lotion?

I guess I'll just see how he is in the morning and go from there. I'm glad that in your experience the chickens have come back from this, I don't want to lose him! I feel so bad, because that picture was when it first started, but now his neck is full of the blackish stuff (dirt caked on to his feathers) and he looks very dirty.

Thank you again!

You can get the Rooster Booster at TSC or on line

The black on his neck feathers is probably dried blood. You can wash it off and blow dry him.

 

[cmlew99]

Thought I'd update this, for others. You were right! It healed up nicely!

 

[justplainbatty]

He looks good! He lost a few points it looks like, so did mine. My #3 roo, doesn't have much responsibility with the other two around, so he tucked his head at night like the hens, and his comb is consequently in much better condition!