Help my rooster is eating himself!!

[poussin_noir]

Don't have to worry about cold here it is presently -10C and will only get colder as the day progresses lol. I have everything ready just waiting on the scissors.

 

[snowydiamonds]

Here's what the beginning of frostbite looks like on my BO roo:

And my Andalusian roo:

Their long wattles get wet while drinking water and the Andalusian tosses his head a lot, trying to dry off his wattles and when he doesn't want someone in his coop.

 

[silkiechicken]

About cold thickening blood... no, blood viscosity is the same, cold causes body to react and constrict up the arterioles and reduce flow to capillaries thus less blood flow.

 

[poussin_noir]

Thanks for the pics snowydiamonds. My roo's wattles looked like your roos, then he started to reach down and tear chunks out of them. Thank god the hens are all ok.
What are you going to do snowydiamonds about your Roo?

 

[Barn Maid Ann]

I have read all the posts with great trepidation. I see my roosters drink, and think the same thing.....those darn wattles are going to FREEZE.
I don't think I could cut them either. Eek! I think I might have to pay a vet.

Anyway, I assume they can get frost bite again, after being dubbed? How short of a wattle can a rooster tolerate?

 

[GopherBoyFarms]

wow, this is all very interesting....I hope it all goes ok, for you and your roo.

I am really glad I have a heater in our coop now. All the girls came out....slowly ....this morning, but Nikki Roo the BIG baby stayed inside! LOL I am glad....he has some big ol' wattles on him too and I would hate for them to freeze on him!

 

[the1much]

dubbing the comb and wattles,, is like cutting ya ear off,, <in a sense... you dub as close as you can,, so there shouldnt be much for wattles or comb left afterward. they could still get frostbite,, but it would have to be their whole head.
in the ideal world,, you dub them when their still young,,, i THINK i read they try to do at 8 weeks old. ,, my black grey had his done,,, and its 1 of the best dubbing jobs ive seen,,i wish i knew who did it so they could show me how they did it

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
you dub whenever you want, their not like puppies tails. most people never dub until at least 8 months.. if you were to dub at a few weeks old your looking at the comb to grow out more, and the wattles. it would shorten it a little. but it'd still grow. i remember my father never dubbed until they were 2 years old.. thats when he called them "cocks" but personally i dub at 6-7 months as you have the best results then for the "perfect dub" for showing

-Daniel

 

[snowydiamonds]

I was planning on waiting until Sunday night but our weather is changing quickly from cold to warm to cold and I don't want to wait that long. I'll be dubbing with my fiskars scissors tonight.

That BO roo and my banty roo are the best and I don't want to lose either of them until its of old age. I put the Andalusian roo in the freezer last weekend- he was absolutely beautiful before and after. He was getting too protective of his flock, he felt I was a danger to his girls.

I'm thinking the EE roo should go in the freezer this Sunday, he's too rough on his girls, they'll be barebacked in another week! The BO & banty roos never leave a mark nor make their girls fear mating. I've got four of the EE roo's chicks right now and they all look to be future roo's so if I want another I can have the BO & banty roo's train the new one this Spring/Summer on how to properly treat the ladies and pick the best one while the rest of those boys go into the freezer.

I don't want to put aprons on the hens, our weather changes quickly and it would be similar to blanketing a horse here, we try very hard not to blanket unless there is no choice or you're stuck w/it all winter. (This is the Icelandic Horse breed, I'm referring to, not any other type of breed.)

My poor BO roo has mostly slept all week so this has taken a toll on him, no other symptoms, but sleeping which is very unusual for him. Even when the hens are busy and making noises, he's got his head buried beneath his feathers so the dubbing has got to be done. A few of his hens will also be done as they have white frostbit points, too.

 

[the1much]

look at this guys page,,, he does things the right way

http://www.freewebs.com/cajunyankee/dubbing.htm