Frostbite?

[machuni]

Hey everybody,

I was examining my chickens today, and it looks like one has frostbite on one of its toes. I just wanted to be sure before I started freaking out. We just had a really cold spell and snow in NC, and I'm wondering if she got it while running around? No swelling, just black spots, and one extends into her nail. These are the only spots I see, so I'm wondering if the damage is minimal.

Ideas for how severe it might be? Or how I should start treating it?

Thanks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've never seen frostbite on toes but it does look like it.

Make sure your roosts are wide enough so they can cover their toes with their feathers at night. If you go into the coop at night, you shouldn't be able to see toes.

 

[machuni]

Yeah, I've never had this problem before. I think it might be from her running around in the snow. There was never any blistering though, and I think I would have noticed. In the spectrum of "frostbite" does this look bad or minor?

And thanks for the reply.

 

[Eggcessive]

It may well be frostbite, but I just wanted to post this picture of Mareks disease. I'm not suggesting that your chickens has that, but thought you might want to see this in case. With most frostbite, most people use some Neosporin, Bag Balm, or coconut oil on it. As ChickenCanoe said, wide roost let them cover their feet with their bodies at night. She may have gotten a few drops of water on her leg during the cold. The wide side up of 2X4's make good roosts.

 

[machuni]

Yeah, I have a 1x3, which does allow them to fully cover their feet, and just looking at the pattern, it looks like something splashed on her feet. I've never dealt with frostbite, but I would think if it was because of an inability to cover her toes, it would have worked distal proximal and taken the whole toe(s)?

I didn't even consider Marek's. I know they were all vaccinated and the three of them never interact with other poultry, so I think that's unlikely, but I'll definitely keep that open as a possibility.

Thanks for the input.

 

[machuni]

Also, I have vaseline and neosporin. Should I use a combination of the two or just neosporin? Nothing is sloughing off and it doesn't look infected at all

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Spreading straw on the snow helps.

Hopefully the wide (2 1/2") side is up.

1X3 nominal is 3/4" by 2 1/2"

 

[Eggcessive]

Also, I have vaseline and neosporin. Should I use a combination of the two or just neosporin? Nothing is sloughing off and it doesn't look infected at all

The Neosporin already has vaseline in it.

 

[machuni]

Yeah, the 2.5" horizontal.

Also, good to know about the Neosporin. I'll do that right now and keep her in.