Help With chicken!PLZ READ!

[WildCHILD400]

Hi I have a Bantam roo who recently got frostbite on three toes! THE TIP OF ONE FELL OFF and one is 1/3 purplish and the other was 1/2 gray and swollen like a human finger. I brought him in and soak his feet in warm water and Epsom salt once a day for about a week and a half then put Neosporin on every other day and aquaphor on the other days. His swollen toe is the size of my finger and I'm a teen. But today I woke up and a third of the toe is really skinny and black! Is it going to fall off will it hurt and what can I do to help him what should I do!?!? PLZ help with any information.

 

[QuailExpert]

chances are it will fall off if it is black, but the frostbite should prevent pain. my recommendation is to do lots of research and keep the bantam roo inside !!! pictures would help if you can put them up !!!!

 

[diamondsilkies]

I think the Epsom Salt baths are a good idea. If possible, I would keep him inside to help keep him warm, and in the future I would either bring him in during winters or provide heat in the coop. But I know it's hard to keep them warm!

One of my roosters had his circulation in his toe cut off when he was a chick (he stepped in some poop and it dried around his foot. By the time I noticed it was too late) It tuned very red and purple, and eventually blackened and fell off. After that, it didn't seem to bother him. There wasn't much of an open wound, and it healed right up. He's fine now, and doesn't mind his missing toe. So I wouldn't worry too much about the toe that fell off, although I know it can be very alarming.

Can you post pictures? Unfortunately, besides what you're already doing, I don't think there's much to do. I'd keep an eye on the other chickens (especially any other bantams you may have) and try to provide some safe form of heat in their coop.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

@casportpony @Pyxis @azygous ideas?

 

[azygous]

It sounds like you're doing everything properly, and avoiding infection is really your main objective, and you've done an admirable job of that.

Thousands of chickens get frostbite every winter, both feet and combs, and they end up losing damaged tissue, including toes. They survive just fine without.

Yes, it sounds like your little guy is going to lose some parts of some toes. Once the tissue is damaged down to the nerves, your chicken's body walls off those parts. The blood supply is cut off, and the parts gradually turn black and dry up and fall away. There's no pain involved at that point. But if you notice your roo acting like it hurts, you can give him half a baby aspirin twice a day.

 

[WildCHILD400]

Thanks so much makes me feel better. Yes he has been inside for two weeks in a cat crate with soft straw instead of wood shavings they seemed to be bothering him. He is spoiled inside with cattoys to peck at with peanut butter In them and one of those chicken cakes they peck at. In the coop there was a 175 watt lamp with a heated perch and a heated waterer in the run.

 

[WildCHILD400]

 

[WildCHILD400]

Will it spread?

 

[azygous]

Great pics! Good job! No, it's not going to "spread". Notice the swelling of the normal tissue just behind the dry, black toe tip. That's your chicken's immune system walling off the dead tissue in preparation for the dead stuff to fall away.

After the dead stuff falls off, the swelling will go down, and the stump will return to normal size. He'll learn to walk on the shortened talon.

It may look gross to you, but it's actually a very healthy response, and the foot looks very good, healing very well.

You did a remarkable job of treating him. He's going to be just fine.

 

[WildCHILD400]

Thanks when i saw his toe like thi s i flipped out and feel so bad. when his toe falls off Will it come back a little or no.?