Frostbite on baby chicks?

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Smileybans

Crowing
Nov 13, 2020
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Upstate New York
I have four baby chicks that are maybe four weeks old. I’m unsure of their actual hatch date. They have had swollen feet with black spots on them for the past day and a half. I did have them outside, in negative weather with a hen, but brought them inside today. They were fine until this past weekend when it seemed like everyone was getting frost bite around here. I did add more ventilation to my broody coop and the hens were leaving the chicks alone for longer periods. Is this frostbite or something else? I have learned my lesson about letting hens hatch out in January.
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Very sorry about your chicks. It could be frostbite, but I cannot be positive. The last picture looks pretty much like it. The skin on the feet may change in the next couple of weeks where it may appear more clear what toes or feet may become affected. A couple of years ago, someone got shipped chicks from a hatchery, and those chicks suffered frostbite in shipping. She never had them outside once they arrived in the mail. I will try to find that thread and pictures and post it here.
 
I have four baby chicks that are maybe four weeks old. I’m unsure of their actual hatch date. They have had swollen feet with black spots on them for the past day and a half. I did have them outside, in negative weather with a hen, but brought them inside today. They were fine until this past weekend when it seemed like everyone was getting frost bite around here. I did add more ventilation to my broody coop and the hens were leaving the chicks alone for longer periods. Is this frostbite or something else? I have learned my lesson about letting hens hatch out in January. View attachment 2971162View attachment 2971163View attachment 2971164
Noooo! so sad! it might not be frost bite though?
 
Here is one thread that I found from 2 years ago, and at the end there are final pictures of the frostbite:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/help-3-week-chick-foot-swollen.1297043/#post-21107472
The pictures in that thread look very similar to my chicks feet. Thank you. I’ll make sure to read through the whole thread to get some advice. Now that the chicks are inside is it just a waiting game or is there something I could be doing for them? I’ve only dealt with frostbite on combs and that resolved itself when I brought the roo inside.
 
I started the soaks today. The smallest chick looks the worse and the mothers have started rejecting her. I turned on my brooder plate for her but am going to keep them all together until they can go back outside. I suspect two of the chicks will probably lose toes.

Chick 1- Little foot. She’s the ones that has it bad. She’s still eating and drinking but mostly sits.
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Chick 2- has some frostbite but not as bad as Little Foot
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Chick 3- has very little to no frostbite. I only soaked her feet once today and didn’t wrap them.
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Chick 4- again has little to no frostbite. Only soaked once and didn’t wrap.
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Should I still soak the chick 3&4s feet? I read over the links and am wondering if honey or coconut oil would be better/ just as good as the spray? I used the spray today on chicks 1&2 and wrapped their feet after. After two soaks chick 2 has oozing and a cut on his one foot.
 
Looks like Little Foot will loose all of her toes. I’m looking into prosthetics for her. I already have a special needs flock, two chickens, so I have no problem keeping her. Even if she turns out to be a rooster. If her quality of life deteriorates I won’t let her suffer through it though. So far she is happy and eating. She has a full crop every time I check on her and even pecks at me when I handle her. She currently uses her wings and beak to get around. She is a fighter.

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Chick 2 I’m not so sure about. The blister popped on the bottom of his foot finally. He looks like he might lose the tips of some toes but maybe not as bad as I’m thinking. At least I hope not. He’s a heavier breed, part light Brahma, so he can’t handle having too many toes missing. Depending on how he gets along depends on if I cull him or not. I want to say as long as he is still fighting I will keep fighting but I have to take into consideration how large he is going to get. *sigh* We shall see I guess.
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I checked chick 3&4 yesterday, I haven’t been soaking their feet, and they have no signs of frostbite. They walk fine and eat fine. All the chicks eat and drink fine really.
 
Hi Smileybans, how are Little Foot and Chick 2 doing?
Thank you for asking. I was actually going to post an update on them today. I forgot to take pictures of chick 2 but here is Little Foot. I’m hoping the frostbite doesn’t go up any more.
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Her feet shake all the time unless they’re on something or we are holding them. Is that normal? Like really shake. My husband equated it to beating eggs and my one son said she could play the drums with her legs.

Forgot to add that chick 2 is looking much better and it doesn’t look like he will lose as many toes as I thought. Maybe just the tips of some. He’s coming along really well. I’ll try to remember to take pictures tomorrow morning.
 

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