Frostbite on comb - now bleeding

[besjoux]

My rooster and hen have some frostbite on their combs that are now bleeding. Is the bleeding just a natural course of it falling off/healing (was black prior) or is this something more like them pecking? I am going to add heat tonight. Some of this weather surprised us and it was suddenly cold at night so going to add a heat lamp. Windy too but they stay outside all day anyways!

 

[maidenwolfx80]

The reason they are getting frostbite is too much moisture in the coop. They can stand the cold just fine. You may need to open up some vents or make some vents. clean out wet bedding and see if there are any leaks. Coat the combs with vasoline so bacteria doesnt get in there. Be careful adding heat lamps there are so many people every year who lose their whole flock due to heat lamps cathcing the coop onn fire.

 

[besjoux]

Should I just open the windows from the top a bit? It's level with their roosts? Or I could open the bottom of the window a bit which is below the roosts. I do have vents above (2) but they are only 4x3 inches each. It's going to be VERY cold here.....around 12 during the day. Is that too cold for chickens with tall floppy combs? This is my first year with chickens.

 

[besjoux]

Also, we are in West Michigan...it's humid here even in the winter Lots of snow too.

I do have an east and west window so I could open just the east one a bit.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Should I just open the windows from the top a bit? It's level with their roosts? Or I could open the bottom of the window a bit which is below the roosts. I do have vents above (2) but they are only 4x3 inches each. It's going to be VERY cold here.....around 12 during the day. Is that too cold for chickens with tall floppy combs? This is my first year with chickens.

The higher up the better for vents. You dont want it lower because you dont want drafts on them. If you close them at night it will be fine. They can stand the cold just fine. AS long as they can get out of the wind they are ok. Try removing some of the droppings each morning that pile up under the roosts. That will reduce moisture also. If you have water in the coop take it out at night, they dont drink at night anyway. Check the bedding for dampness.

 

[besjoux]

SO you close the vents at night? My hens are never in their coop during the day and the vents are always open. All of our rose comb hens don't have this problem, just the ones with the taller combs.

 

[Jennabeth77]

Hi,

My rooster got frostbite on the bomb and is now dripping blood. I held some paper towel on it to try to stop it and put some bacitracin on it to hopefully help, but I didn't see an answer here regarding the bleeding.
Is that normal in healing?!