Help, my rooster got frostbite!

Rivers Ranch

Hatching
5 Years
Jun 7, 2014
5
0
7
Our feathered babies are about 8 months old. They've been very healthy and happy. It got down to about 20 last night. Our rooster was in the doorway to the little coop and he got frostbite on his comb and he couldn't stand this morning. His body was so cold to touch. I brought him inside and warmed him up. His comb is much better, he's eating, drinking and pooping. He's no longer lethargic. His right leg is fine now but he won't stand on his left leg nor will he stretch out his toes. He has some small blackened spots on his foot which is more pliable when I massage it now but he acts like he can't move his leg at all. What do I do?
 
A picture always helps. I would keep him inside in the warm house, and feed him electrolytes and vitamins in his water. Twenty degrees is not that cold to cause frostbite unless they are in a direct draft from wind, or can get wet. Waterers need to be up high enough so they won't step into them. Don't massage his frostbitten skin, since that can damage it more. Betadine would be good to dab on or spray on frostbitten areas. With frostbite, you will have to wait and see what happens. Sometimes it clears up without a problem, but sometimes there can be toes that fall off or skin infections. Here is a good article on frostbite:
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/12/frostbit-in-backyard-chickens-causes.html
 
Thanks so much for the info. We've raised our watered so they stay out of it and I'll be putting up some more wind blocks today as well. He's still not using his left leg so he's hanging out in the house right now in our dog kennel. I truly hope he gets back to normal soon. His girls miss him.
 
Our feathered babies are about 8 months old. They've been very healthy and happy. It got down to about 20 last night. Our rooster was in the doorway to the little coop and he got frostbite on his comb and he couldn't stand this morning. His body was so cold to touch. I brought him inside and warmed him up. His comb is much better, he's eating, drinking and pooping. He's no longer lethargic. His right leg is fine now but he won't stand on his left leg nor will he stretch out his toes. He has some small blackened spots on his foot which is more pliable when I massage it now but he acts like he can't move his leg at all. What do I do?

I think I have the same problem with my Guinea hens (fowl). We had a really bad cold snap in wisconsin and they all got infection in their toes. There is no vet around here who works on birds. I asked the area farmers what they do if their chickens need help and they said they kill them and eat them! Yikes! One of my poor girls has list all of her toes and the infection is moving up into her legs. (She is in my house with 2 other hens.) I have been soaking their feet daily in warm water with Epsom salt. I have put duramycin-10 in their water. I think I will have to put the one down even though she eats and drinks and hobbles around her pen area. Any suggestions on how to better save the other two? Any suggestions on how to humanely put down the one? I am desperate and don't want them to be in pain.
 
I've been doing some reading on riboflavin (B2) deficiency and how it can have similar characteristics of Mareks disease. I gave my rooster some yogurt tonight (one site said it has vitamin b in it) and I'll get him some Poly-vi-sol liquid baby vitamins tomorrow to help with curly toes or leg problems. Hopefully that will help him and it'll be a turnaround for my big boy. Have you tried it for yours? If so, let me know how it works for you.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom