Frostbite on Rooster's Wattles?

[MesMama]

Here's a pic-

 

[iLikeMineFried]

@iLikeMineFried What does dubbing mean?

Love your screen name by the way

Dubbing is the removal of the comb and/or wattles. There are some videos on youtube of people doing it. It looks bloody and painful.

 

[MesMama]

I'm kicking myself a little for adding Wellies to my flock, the comb and wattles are huge on these guys. But in my defense it never get this cold here. We might have -0 temps but it's a windchill temp, not like this crap of actual temp -14 ugh!

 

[MesMama]

Dubbing is the removal of the comb and/or wattles. There are some videos on youtube of people doing it. It looks bloody and painful.

Oh my! That's sounds awful

 

[MesMama]

Dubbing is the removal of the comb and/or wattles. There are some videos on youtube of people doing it. It looks bloody and painful.

So they actually lose part of their combs and then the next year it's not as big of an issue?

 

[MesMama]

He's eating and drinking normally so that's good, now that his wattles are thawed out lol!

 

[iLikeMineFried]

I'm kicking myself a little for adding Wellies to my flock, the comb and wattles are huge on these guys. But in my defense it never get this cold here. We might have -0 temps but it's a windchill temp, not like this crap of actual temp -14 ugh!

This is my first time having chickens, so I am learning as I go. This site has been an awesome source of info. My birds are all supposed to be cold hardy breeds, but I guess these temps are just too frigid for them. I feel bad for my birds, but long ago people kept chickens without heated coops and they survived just fine.

 

[iLikeMineFried]

So they actually lose part of their combs and then the next year it's not as big of an issue?

The blackened parts will dry up and fall off on their own, so next winter their comb and wattles will be a little smaller and hopefully the frostbite will not be as severe as this winter. Chickens restrict blood flow to the comb and wattles to conserve body heat, so the tissue freezes and becomes necrotic (black), and will dry out and fall off.

 

[lutherpug]

I'm glad to see this thread as I was going to hop on and start a thread about the exact same thing. We're in MO and it was -8 this morning, I think we're up to a balmy 6 degrees. I don't have a roo but I have a RIR hen with a comb that would give a leghorn a run for it's money. Frostbitten this morning as well. We've got ventilation and a dry coop

I brought her into my basement in a dog kennel and am planning to leave her there for a day or so to get a handle on how this is going to look before I put her back out. I used vaseline after the fact but not before. I'll be getting some bag balm later today as I think it may be somewhat better.

I worry about having her in the house and then putting her back out the weather is back into the 20's tomorrow and 40's later this week.

Sorry for hopping on your thread but it sounded like we were all in the same boat. Here is a (admittedly kinda cruddy) picture of Waffles in the run this morning and now in my basement.

 

[High Prairie]

@lutherpug I think we're all fortunate that the weather will be greatly improved in the next couple of days. I think I'll keep May inside a couple of days and then return him to his girls on one of the days when we're getting up to the 40s ... unless he's showing signs of infection, which I'm hoping won't happen.