Frostbite on Rooster's Wattles?

[Cluckies]

@Bogtown Chick Thank you so much for the pictures! I think May will end up looking very similar. He's his usual, chipper self this morning in the laundry room. He was crowing quite a bit. I turned some Christmas music on for him, and that helped!

Do you happen to remember how long the whole healing process lasted? I imagine it takes awhile. Also, did you have any problems putting him back outside in the cold once he had been inside a couple of days healing? It's getting into the 40s here tomorrow so I might try it then if everything is looking good. He's still swollen today but maybe not quite as much as yesterday.

My blackened comb parts did not drop off until spring, after it turns black, it acts like a protectant for the fresh pink skin underneath, leave it on there, don't mess with it. In the spring, I did touch it, barely, and the black part fell right off. the new skin underneath was very light pink and tender.

 

[robyn8]

Hi I'm also having frostbite issues. First flock. I think the coop is fine ventilation wise. No condensation inside, humidity inside on gauge about the same as outside. We did have some draft issues at first and my boy got some frostbite. Drafts are gone now but we had a really cold snap here in Mi. It's above freezing now so I hope the warm weather will help.

I'm worried about infection now though. He has some yellow spots on his comb. Some of the yellow in the pic is just food but the bigger spots are like blisters. Not oozing but it looks like yellow fluid in them. I was doing bag balm am and pm but have switched to triple antibiotic and vetericyn spray. Should I do anything else? He's acting completely normal.

 

[Cluckies]

Updating to say May is doing great and is super happy to be out with his girls. The swelling seems to have gone down, and I'm waiting for the next phase of healing. We're supposed to be in the 60s Christmas Day. So a 70-degree swing from one weekend to the next. This weather is wild! While I was so worried about May, I ended up losing a hen. It wasn't due to the cold. She definitely had slow crop, but I think something else more serious was going on with her. I tried everything to save her. It's hard. I'm glad everyone else's birds are healing up well! Maybe the next cold spell will be less stressful for all of us!

Sorry about your hen

If you only have a few birds, you can check their crop morning and night (I have 5) full crop at night, empty in morning is good. So if it is not empty in the morning, I massage it for a few seconds, usually helps whatever is stuck to get going through.

 

[Cluckies]

Hi I'm also having frostbite issues. First flock. I think the coop is fine ventilation wise. No condensation inside, humidity inside on gauge about the same as outside. We did have some draft issues at first and my boy got some frostbite. Drafts are gone now but we had a really cold snap here in Mi. It's above freezing now so I hope the warm weather will help.

I'm worried about infection now though. He has some yellow spots on his comb. Some of the yellow in the pic is just food but the bigger spots are like blisters. Not oozing but it looks like yellow fluid in them. I was doing bag balm am and pm but have switched to triple antibiotic and vetericyn spray. Should I do anything else? He's acting completely normal.

Make sure your antibiotic ointment does not have a numbing agent in it not a “caine” type (like benzocaine or lidocaine). I believe someone mentioned something like that earlier . I would not use the spray as that is wet and could freeze on this comb. Use the ointment. Look at Bogtown Chicks posts, she has photos as well. Good luck.

 

[robyn8]

Thanks! Yep no Caine or numbing agents in the ointment. I've only been using the spray when it's above freezing, but I'll stop using it at night just in case.

 

[High Prairie]

Sorry about your hen    If you only have a few birds, you can check their crop morning and night (I have 5) full crop at night, empty in morning is good. So if it is not empty in the morning, I massage it for a few seconds, usually helps whatever is stuck to get going through.

I'm learning as I go as a rookie chicken keeper. I will definitely be checking crops now. Thanks!

 

[Cluckies]

Quote: I learned the most probably my first year when I had one issue after another, I was almost in tears by February, but... things are alot better now, and I've learned tons, so stick with it, it does become so much fun!

 

[rottlady]

My cream Legbar roo has monster comb and wattles and that is a mistake here in NH
His wattles froze solid and most of his comb

My Barnevelder Roos comb is fine and just a smidge on the edge of his wattles has some white
All 6 hens are fine

 

[Bogtown Chick]

My cream Legbar roo has monster comb and wattles and that is a mistake here in NH
His wattles froze solid and most of his comb

My Barnevelder Roos comb is fine and just a smidge on the edge of his wattles has some white
All 6 hens are fine

Oh yeah. He'll be more aerodynamic for chasing hens this spring. Poor young boys...

 

[mrannow74]

Hello,

This is my first flock and against my better judgement we got 2 Brown Leghorns because my son wanted "white" eggs. I have 6 girls in a Tractor Supply Coop which I haven't done much too except for surrounding it in poly as windblock. I clean the coop in the morning (I use dropping boards). My leghorns have frostbite on their combs, about 3/4 of their comb is white/gray and hard. I didnt know anything about putting balm or anything else prior to the freezing temps. I was thinking about putting a low watt heat lamp in the coop for them but I think that would cause to much moisture. Anyway what I am worried about is "is it to late for my ladies combs? They haven't turned black or anything but I think they might soon. Is it okay for them to lose their whole comb? can I stop it from spreading?