frozen feet

[rebel13dlc]

last night it got down to about 6 degrees, well this morning I took their water out to them and only one wasnt moving, I picked her up and started lookin at her and noticed her feet were a pale color and felt her feet and they wont move,,, brought her inside put her close to the stove, so do I just wait it out and her feet will unthaw or what... also one of my rooster has one of his wattles swollen any ideas or suggestions thank.
Dan

 

[ghillie]

Sounds like frostbite. Do a search on here for frostbite, have read threads before about it but I don't have any experience with it..

 

[fiberart57]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

I hope your chickens get better. The suggestion from above is a good one to help cure it. I don't know what kind of roosts you're using but sometimes they need to be adjusted to prevent frozen toes.

I don't know where you live, but currently on the Western Slope of the Rockies in Colorado it got down to 3 degrees last night. I was relieved because I was expecting 10 below zero. What I have learned from all the reading on this site is that the best roosts for the birds are broad ones, like the four inch side of a two by four which is what mine currently are. The reason for this is that chickens rest on their feet and don't grip like other birds and with a broad board they can cover their feet when they sleep.

I hope this helps prevent more frozen toes.

There's also a thread on vaseline on combs and wattles; you'll need to cover them with vaseline, preferably before they get cold and freeze, but even after is not so bad. My neighbor and I did our birds two nights ago and it was only six degrees. I'm really glad we did. So far my girls have escaped the dreaded black spots.
Mary

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I remember reading/hearing somewhere that you need to thaw them out very slowly because they will be very sensitive to heat. I would soak her feet in water - but start with cool (not cold) water for maybe 15 minutes. Dump and refill the bowl but this time make it just a little warmer. Repeat but I wouldn't make the water any warmer than room temp / tepid. I know instinct is to soak in nice warm water but that could actually do more harm than good. Hope she is ok!