frostbite

[kristine21]

weve been getting frost over past few nights and the temperatures were down to freezing. one of my smaller sized hens comb, is looking half black.. she is a black and white hen, however im worried that its frost bite instead of her normal colour of the skin. she is the only out of 5 chickens that ive noticed changed in the comb colour... I have weather proofed the coop and made sure they are set for winter. is there anything else I should be doing to prepare my hens for winter...?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

weve been getting frost over past few nights and the temperatures were down to freezing. one of my smaller sized hens comb, is looking half black.. she is a black and white hen, however im worried that its frost bite instead of her normal colour of the skin. she is the only out of 5 chickens that ive noticed changed in the comb colour... I have weather proofed the coop and made sure they are set for winter. is there anything else I should be doing to prepare my hens for winter...?

When you say you "weather proofed" the coop, what did you do? Many times the human logic approach to winter preparation is actually contrary to what is best for the birds we think we are "protecting"....one of the common results is that the coops retain excess moisture inside (humidity) and that is when you have the issue of frostbite arise as moisture rises and temperatures drop. That said, if you are merely experiencing your first few frosts of the year (as it sounds from your post) it is not likely that frost bite is becoming an issue just yet. Knowing where you are located would be helpful in understanding the current climate your birds are living in.
Anytime you have a concern about something like this it is helpful to take and post photos of the area you are concerned about so that we can see what you are seeing - it helps us better answer the questions you have.

 

[kristine21]

I'm located in northern california. I've put pallets on the floor of the coop as the coop is on the ground, I've used hay to cover the pallets so the hens stay of the cold ground. The coop has their nesting and sleeping area that is 1meter of the ground, it also has walls and additional roof , imagine a box but for chikens. This all is in a large coop that has walls,roof and plenty of ventilation. I have removed water from inside as it adds to humidity. Plenty of hay...my chikens walk in my front and back yard freely during day time and in the evening they are sleeping in their coops inside box...any other suggestions would be welcomed..

 

[kristine21]

This is my hen who's comb I'm worried about....I know it's hard to see the actual comb itself however she doesn't like to sit still....

 

[BantamLover21]

That looks like a normal colored comb for that breed/mix of chicken (Polish mix?). Chicken comb colors vary from pale pink, to deep red, to purplish, to nearly black. Comb color depends on the breed and health of the bird. As long as your chickens' combs don't swell, develop yellow or black portions, or appear white and frozen, they are not suffering from frostbite. Provided the coop is well ventilated and birds are out of drafts, it usually takes a period of really cold temperatures to induce frostbite.

 

[kristine21]

Yes she was a mix breed of road island red and silver lace polish..good to know, thanks for advice