Frostbitten Comb

[MNFowl]

One of our chickens, a white Leghorn, got a frost bitten comb. It was doing fine, but when I went out today, it was much worse. She had been bleeding on her feathers, and though the bleeding was over by the time I got out I could see she had bled a fair amount. Should I seperate her? We have an old bunny hutch that is insulated with plastic wrap, and stays very warm in the summer, but I am not sure if it would keep her warm enough at night. We are getting down to -5 at night this week. Otherwise we have a place we can put her in our garage, but I think she would stress out way too much. Also, is there anything I can put on her comb to help?

 

[Eggmachine11]

This isn't life threatening.Chickens are tough.Vaseline on the sore will help any bleeding,or sore spots.After it is dried up,keeping it dry helps.

I wouldn't separate her,but would definitely keep a eye on her just to assure she isn't being peckef at.

 

[TwoCrows]

Bagbalm is an excellent lotion to put on. It helps to heal chapped and broken skin and protects if from further damage. Rub gently on the comb. Frost bite is very painful.

Make sure you have adequate ventilation in your coop. 3/4 to 1 square foot per bird in your eaves, some venting on one side of the coop, some on the other side, one set higher than the other. Have them roost low to the floor. No roosting up in the rafters where the moisture tends to build up. If you don't have enough vent space, the moisture will rise to the ceiling and fall back down as water or frost.

However some birds like leghorns have very large combs and are prone to frost bite no matter how much ventilation you have.

 

[MNFowl]

Thanks for the help! I went out to do the chickens and put on the Vaseline, but now one of the other chickens, who had no frostbite, has had her comb pecked on pretty badly. Should I seperate the two injured ones now?

 

[Eggmachine11]

If you want.Wipe the sore off,and once it dries up,allow the hens to be put back in.

 

[hellokittyfive]

You should never wipe frostbite!!! That will make it worse. If you are unsure of what to do, call a vet. They can give you general guidance on frostbite.

 

[TwoCrows]

Clean off the blood the best you can and apply something like neosporin, (without the pain killer) bagbalm if you have it or some sort of ointment. I wouldn't separate anybody but make sure you have plenty of room in your coop and run. Aggression happens when birds are cramped up together and there is nothing to do. Get them out for some free ranging to give them something to do and burn off calories. If they can't go outside because of weather, put out some hanging veggies, seed pecking blocks, ladders in the run, mirrors, just things to keep them from getting to bored and picking on each other.