Frostbite or Fowl Pox

MisterT

Hatching
7 Years
May 23, 2012
8
0
7
Our rooster has developed black sores on his comb as shown below. I believe it's frostbite but it looks similar to the the pictures of fowl pox I've seen in the forums. I am also wondering about pox as our hen also has a couple small black spots. There was a couple nights in the low 20s (maybe upper teens) when we didn't have the heat lamp on. They are out of the wind in their coop but it is large for six chickens (4'x8').

It's my first season with chickens, can someone more experienced help me out?





 
Looks like frostbite to me. Fowl pox tends to be in several spots all over the comb and wattles, whereas frostbite is usually at the tips like what I see on your guys.
 
Thank you, I was thinking frostbite but wanted a second opinion. I will keep the heat lamp on during below freezing weather and see if it goes away. I hope it did not get bad enough for the tips to fall off.
 
Thank you, I was thinking frostbite but wanted a second opinion. I will keep the heat lamp on during below freezing weather and see if it goes away. I hope it did not get bad enough for the tips to fall off.

Check your ventilation too to make sure the moist air from the chickens can escape. You want airflow above their heads but not a draft right on them. Ideally you would have a window above their heads just on one side of the coop for winter.

Just mentioning it as many think it is necessary to close up every airhole for winter and then it is too damp.
 
An update on the frostbite:

I've had a 250 W red heat lamp on for 3 weeks now. It has gotten colder and my rooster's frostbite on his comb has gotten progressively worse.

I have a 6' x 8' shed for a coop that is about 6.5' tall. Ventilation is good and there aren't any drafts. I have the heat lamp above the roost but it obviously doesn't raise the temp much in such a large coop. I have 6 chickens total, the only chicken having any problems is the rooster (see the pics posted earlier). The hens still seem to be in high spirits despite the cold and are laying great.

I'm not sure what to do for the rooster. The only option I see is to put a heater in the coop because the heat lamp is only helping him when he's roosting (and it's been single digits during the day here when he's not on the roost).

Am I having this trouble because I have a large coop with only 6 chickens? What have other folks done in northern climates with large combed roosters? If he seems otherwise healthy will he heal okay from the frostbite?

Thanks!!
 

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