Frozen Chicken Feet

[17bergerh]

Hi, one of my chickens recently got frozen feet. She wasn't sleeping on the roost so her feet got frozen. I took her inside and ran water over her feet, making it progressively warmer. I then put some shavings in a box with food and water and put a heat lamp over her. She has been there for 2 days now, and she has trouble moving around. Her toes are all still intact, but she doesn't appear to be able to move them. Are her nerves/muscles damaged so much that she won't be able to move her toes again? All comments and tips are welcome.

 

[boskelli1571]

Hello there - sorry about your bird!

Frostbite is quite a dangerous thing, people don't realize how quickly it can set in. Anyway, how do her feet look? Are they red/blue/ black, do they feel hot to touch, any skin starting to come off? It's likely that she has significant nerve damage if she's not moving her toes. If her toes start to turn black & cold, the tissue is dead and will likely fall off at some point.

There are a few folks here who have birds with one foot/no feet following frostbite - the birds seem to do ok. Keep her warm & comfortable, protein treats to help rebuild tissue. Keep us posted on her progress please.....

 

[Eggcessive]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry about your chicken. Frostbite of the feet can be very dangerous if a chicken gets their feet wet or sleeps outside or on metal during freezing weather. Here are a couple of threads about chickens who have lost feet to frostbie, and one on treatment and prevention:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/12/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/842760/frost-bitten-feet
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/458475/frostbitten-feet-prosthesis-ideas