Frostbitten Comb- Vaseline Didn't Work

[TheCrazyClucker]

We would give her a bath because she is going inside the house tomorrow, to stay for a few days until her comb heals, her comb is cracked.

 

[azygous]

If you want to bathe Daisy, use baby shampoo or children's bubble bath liquid. When you towel dry her off, don't rub the feathers or you'll damage them. Then blow dry her.

It'll take half an hour to blow dry her feathers (on low setting), but she should enjoy that.

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

We got her inside today, and bathed her in lukewarm water and used Johnson's baby shampoo. Then we blow dried her (she really enjoyed it) and towel-dried her feathers using strokes that go in the direction her feathers grow. I want to keep her in my room, but we are still wondering about what to do. Guess what? Daisy is sitting in my lap right now. Say hi Daisy! *Bawk!!*

 

[blondiebee181]

Did you put Neosporin on her comb? That will keep infection out and heal the cracked skin up faster. I would get a box and bed it with straw then put her in and cover it with a towel. She will stay warm and quiet. When did she last eat? It will be better to send her to bed with a full crop and some water. Then she will be fine the whole night without food or water. My hens don't get food or water in their henhouse from about 5:30pm or 6 until about 8 or 8:30 in the morning. A note on Alfalfa hay...I have heard from a lot of other people that it holds more moisture than chopped straw so you might want to look into that.

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

Yes, we put Neosporin on her comb, and we have a huge cardboard box and we put straw in it. She is going to sleep in my room. And we've always used alfalfa... it works very good and i've never felt or seen wetness in the alfalfa bed.

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

Daisy's comb is still cracked and bleeds a little sometimes, even after her stay inside our house. Now she is snuggling on my lap while I write this, and I can tell you this: Her comb is getting better, but it is still bad. Any more advice??

 

[aggiemae]

I do oil my hens combs and fee a few times a year with vit E oil and make a point of doing it before the weather cools down because dry scaly skin is more prone to injury from the cold.

But oiling will not help with frostbite at all. The black parts of frostbitten part of the comb are dead and will dry up and fall off and the blanched areas could go either way. The best thing to do is keep it dry and clean.

It's true that damp is more of a problem than cold but sometimes, since some hens just want to be outside no matter how cold or wet it is, there is really nothing you can do.

PS: I think it's really sweet that you let Daisy sleep in the house.

 

[animallover505]

the black tissue is dead and will fall off

 

[TheCrazyClucker]

I do oil my hens combs and fee a few times a year with vit E oil and make a point of doing it before the weather cools down because dry scaly skin is more prone to injury from the cold.

But oiling will not help with frostbite at all. The black parts of frostbitten part of the comb are dead and will dry up and fall off and the blanched areas could go either way. The best thing to do is keep it dry and clean.

It's true that damp is more of a problem than cold but sometimes, since some hens just want to be outside no matter how cold or wet it is, there is really nothing you can do.

PS: I think it's really sweet that you let Daisy sleep in the house.

we'll do anything for our animals. my mom once said that if we needed to, we'd let our dairy cow, Buttercup, stay in our basement. : )

 

[animallover505]

we'll do anything for our animals. my mom once said that if we needed to, we'd let our dairy cow, Buttercup, stay in our basement. : )

that's sweet!! The black part will probably fall off if it hasn't already. Vaseline helps, but it doesn't completely prevent it. Neosporin of Vaseline will help with the cracking.