Frostbite?

[Smileybans]

The top part of his comb is turning a little grey. I had been using Vaseline on it but forgot for the past two nights, and read a bunch of contradictory stuff about it. His comb had been bright red while using the Vaseline. Which I actually thought he was having a reaction to it because before I starting using it his comb was a pinkish. With white in it.
Anyway. Is this frostbite? Or something else I should worry about?

 

[Aapomp831]

That just looks like a little peck mark. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Smileybans]

That just looks like a little peck mark. Nothing to worry about.

I was talking about the grey in his comb.
Here’s a better picture from today. I used Vaseline on it last night so it’s a little more red. But still grey.

My bantam roo has some darkening on his comb too. He’s separate from the big roo and is in with silkies smaller than him. He’s in with a heater though because the silkies are 9 weeks old and I’m not sure how they handle the cold. Does this look like frost bite? Sorry for the blurry pictures.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I used Vaseline on it last night so it’s a little more red. But still grey.

It's not frost bite and you don't need vaseline. Just make sure your coop is DRY.. with no moisture running down walls or windows and no condensation.. Ventilation (of exhaled moisture) is KEY to preventing frostbite. Closed up tight can be more harmful than not depending on things like stock density, enclosure size, etc.

Frost bite would start at the tips not on the sides. Pea combs are generally not that susceptible to frost bite the way straight combs can be. Most birds will tuck their heads in under wings or feathers to keep face warm. If frost bite does happen to comb tips.. they most often fall off and heal up quickly to not be frosted again in the future.

How cold are your nights? Are the Silkies roosting yet or piling still? Are they off daytime heat or been "hardened off" in any way, and were they raised with or without a mum? I see snow.. but as long as it isn't windy and they aren't soaked to the bone.. Silkies are fairly hardy little fluff ball buggers!

Redness is hormone related and can vary throughout the day and by season or age sometimes and yes when feeling under the weather too. I agree I only see.. peck or scratch marks.. maybe dry skin.. but NOTHING of concern!

Good eye paying attention though!

 

[Smileybans]

It's not frost bite and you don't need vaseline. Just make sure your coop is DRY.. with no moisture running down walls or windows and no condensation.. Ventilation (of exhaled moisture) is KEY to preventing frostbite. Closed up tight can be more harmful than not depending on things like stock density, enclosure size, etc.

Frost bite would start at the tips not on the sides. Pea combs are generally not that susceptible to frost bite the way straight combs can be. Most birds will tuck their heads in under wings or feathers to keep face warm. If frost bite does happen to comb tips.. they most often fall off and heal up quickly to not be frosted again in the future.

How cold are your nights? Are the Silkies roosting yet or piling still? Are they off daytime heat or been "hardened off" in any way, and were they raised with or without a mum? I see snow.. but as long as it isn't windy and they aren't soaked to the bone.. Silkies are fairly hardy little fluff ball buggers!

Redness is hormone related and can vary throughout the day and by season or age sometimes and yes when feeling under the weather too. I agree I only see.. peck or scratch marks.. maybe dry skin.. but NOTHING of concern!

Good eye paying attention though!

The nights are single digits to low teens. Come January and February it’ll be in the negatives. Everyone is in an enclosed run. Three of the four sides are tarped up. The west side isn’t but there’s a big barn blocking the wind on that side.
The silkies were never really hardened off and are still piling. I try to get them to sleep inside their coop but they would rather sleep on the ground by the heater. Their coop is a small prefab I got for integrating chicks. They were raised without a mom but had a three week older cockerel who acted like a mom. By that I mean he let them all sit under him and he bossed them around. The silkies coop is actually under the only part of the run with a solid top too. So they come out and eat the snow when I let them.
As far as I can tell the coops stay dry. I haven’t noticed any sort of mouisture running down the walls. But its a small coop with 8 birds. The main coop has good ventilation, I had to add ventilation to the prefab one, but I’m a worrier. And any change in the birds has me worried. I’m glad it’s nothing to be worried about. I’ll keep my eye on it either way.

 

[Smileybans]

@EggSighted4Life
The grey spots have gotten darker. Should I do something? Here’s some coop pics so maybe you can tell me something I’m missing. Should I bring him inside to warm up? I’m worried because it doesn’t seem to be getting better. Just worse.

the poo on the red bar I clean off before they roost every night.

 

[Smileybans]

@EggSighted4Life
The grey spots have gotten darker. Should I do something? Here’s some coop pics so maybe you can tell me something I’m missing. Should I bring him inside to warm up? I’m worried because it doesn’t seem to be getting better. Just worse. View attachment 2459960
the poo on the red bar I clean off before they roost every night. View attachment 2459962View attachment 2459963View attachment 2459964View attachment 2459965

False alarm. It was dirt. I had my husband catch him for a better look. But any advise about the coop still stands.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

False alarm. It was dirt. I had my husband catch him for a better look. But any advise about the coop still stands.

Well that's always good news! I've been down that worry-wart road before. I don't see anything wrong with your coop. Looks to have pretty good ventilation in my opinion. I personally use a poop board to collect droppings and clean them out daily to reduce moisture, but that's up to you. Plenty of people don't do that and get along just fine.