is making my think this is frostbite...
Just hoping to get some confirmation/thoughts from others who've dealt with this.
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I live in northern Minnesota, and I have to deal with potential frostbite every winter. It can get as low as -40F here, but this year I think the coldest we have seen was about -20F. Some of my chickens have gotten frostbite on their combs, but usually they recover in the spring and summer. I don't recall any frostbite on their feet, but I have a 2X4 laid flat for their roosting bar. That way, the chickens can lay down on their feet, tuck them into their feathers, and keep them warm.
The best frostbite prevention is good ventilation. So, how do you know if you have adequate ventilation? Well, I put a humidity/thermometer both inside and outside of the coop and checked to see how much difference there was between the readings. My reading both inside and outside the coop were the same, so, I figured my ventilation was good. There should not be a great difference in either the humidity or temps.
The good news is that I have never lost a bird due to frostbite. And, I don't treat frostbite when I see it. Chickens recover pretty quickly on their own. Also, in my thinking, if I had a chicken breed that did suffer from frostbite in our winters, then I would not get that breed anymore. I don't want to heat my coop, so it's just better for me to get cold hardy chickens that are able to make it through my winters.
Finally, let me say that there is some discussion on whether or not to treat frostbite. Some people treat frostbite, but others warn that you can do more harm trying to treat the birds. I don't treat my birds that get frostbite, and they seem to recover on their own. I don't know if that is the best way to handle frostbite, but it works for me with my flock.
