Frostbite

[taylacline]

One of our girls has gotten some mild frostbite on the tips of her comb in this crazy weather. They are currently just white, but what can we do to help her? Should we just wait it out since its now gradually getting warmer? She's the only one with a long comb.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Dont do anything. Chickens dont have nerves in their combs so i dont think they can feel it. If you try and help her it might get worse. 2 of mine got it and are ok, they got it the first night of the storrm. And dont use vasaline its not good for them. If it gets worse update please.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would just let them be. Frostbite is rather common in large combed birds. No treatment is necessary at this time unless the comb is severely swollen or weeping. Do no massage or handle the comb as frostbite is painful. Please post a picture if possible.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Ojay

I would just let them be. Frostbite is rather common in large combed birds. No treatment is necessary at this time unless the comb is severely swollen or weeping. Do no massage or handle the comb as frostbite is painful. Please post a picture if possible.

I'm confused the post above says they have no feeling in their combs. I have 2 leghorns that have some black / purple tips on comb and wattles I'm waiting to see what happens as it warms up. Any advice

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Ojay

I'm confused the post above says they have no feeling in their combs. I have 2 leghorns that have some black / purple tips on comb and wattles I'm waiting to see what happens as it warms up. Any advice

They have no nerves in their combs so they cant feel it very well, thats at least what i was told by multiple people on this forum who have helped me many times.

 

[RoyalChick]

The treatment for frostbite is to do nothing. In particular don’t touch it and don’t put any cream or anything on it.
Eventually some or all of the white bit will turn black and fall off like a scab leaving the comb healed but a bit smaller.
Some of it may reciver on its own.
Doing nothing takes patience - it can take weeks for the dead tissue to fall off.
I would be surprised if chickens have no nerves in their combs. They can certainly feel it if you touch them. But if a bit of comb has been killed off by frostbite then those nerves are dead so for sure losing the dead tissue won’t be painful for them. Just like you don’t hurt when a scan falls off.

 

[SueT]

The points of the comb will probably fall off. My leghorns’ combs got progressively smaller points each year. I had a rooster that lost part of a wattle during that polar vortex where it got to -20 here.
But as they said, you don’t have to do anything.
After

 

[Happy hen lover]

Thanks for help all you guys. That's what I'll do leave and see, it warmed up today so the combs look better now.