How do I dubb a Roo with severe frostbite on his comb?

[psimons2004]

I feel like I am running a chicken infirmary here... I already have one hen inside because she broke of the entire of her upper beak, and I took her out to 'visit' with her friends and saw my poor bantum rooster completely bloody all over his entire comb, chunks, and blood dripping down his neck and into his eyes... (His eyes are fine - all the blood seems to be only coming from the comb). It was -5 last night and in the coop got down to 30 with two heat lamps directly on the flock. Tonight is supposed to be colder. Which brings me to my problem of separating him.... I can't sacrafice a heat lamp just for him. I think they need both, but he crows about every 20 seconds and keeping him in the house is gonna drive me CRAZY~ it's only been 20 minutes and I've already about decided to make chicken soup. NOT REALLY - I COULD NEVER DO THAT!!!!

Okay, so:
I washed it with warm water, patted it dry to try and remove any major clumps and clots, and SLATHERED it in bag balm. I haven't found any pictures on line but the closest story I found on BYC the rooster died the next morning... Several people in that thread said they dubb their roosters combs. Since he's already injured and in pain I fell like maybe this could be an option because there would actually be less to heal and discourage pecking while it heals.... Would this further the risk for infection? Also -I am really pretty good about blood and gore, but ugh, I can just imagine what this involves. Is this something I could do myself at home? Does it have to be cautterized?

ewww, but I will do anything for my birds. At least Sparkles will have a friend in the chicken hospital, and she can't very well peck at his comb.... Perfect pair... Geez.
I can feed them doctored food together I guess... add some powdered antibiotics or something????

The goo is the bag balm and that is just blood on the roof of the carrier - I will move him in a few minutes to something taller.

 

[Tracydr]

If it was 30 degrees above, I don't think he got frostbite, unless he was left outside the coop. Pretty roo. Looks to me like he got in a fight. Why do you think it was frostbite?
I would simply leave it alone, keep him separated. If you need to put him back, put Blu-kote on the comb.
Where in WY are you? I was stationed at FE Warren in Cheyenne for 4 years and lived 35 miles south, near Wellington, CO. I never heated my coop and the peafowl lived outdoors, unless it was windy, they'd go in the open barn to get out of the wind.
Nice job taking care of your roo and hen. Everything is so much harder when it's super cold, or like here in Phoenix, when it's over 115. Nothing seems to work right.

 

[bockbock2008]

I'm sure before you cleaned it up it looked alot worse, but unless I'm missing something, I don't see frostbite. Do you have any blu kote or pine tar? Either of those would discourage further pecking. I think if you keep it clean and treated, it would heal just fine. I usually use vasoline on my roo's combs and waddles when it gets really cold here which is only a few weeks. I'm sure others will soon chime in for some more opinions an ideas. Good luck!

 

[psimons2004]

Thanks - and I am in Cheyenne - my hubby is military but Army not Air Force. They are out of the wind and their coop is inside a shed and surrounded with straw. I guess I just assumed - was hoping it was frostbite not a fight. I figured the hens pecked at it... The tips are just now starting to turn dark, not sure if that's for the drying blood - I tried to wash it throughly, or from frost bite. It is still only 18 outside. Hmmmm.... He is the only bird we have that is not 'labeled' as cold hardy...

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I live in Montana, north of you. My chickens have gone through -20 to -30F in an unheated barn. The barn keeps them out of the wind, but they're pretty much stuck with the cold.

I don't think it was frostbite either. Only one of my roos got frost nipped last year and it tends to show up as white patches that turn to black. The fact that it's bleeding is indicative of injury and not freezing. Good job in caring for them!

 

[psimons2004]

Thanks! It is cold!!! But the rest seem to be fine. I think I solved my quarentine problem...
Screened 1/4 of the small coop near the light. Room for everybody and the two injured chickens are sharing the space.
Bag Balmed EVERYONES combs and waddles - about three more had black spots, but just one or two small ones.
And My broodie hen is still in the coop with everyone else fiercly protecting her eggs and everyone elses...
I'm supposed to separate her, right? But I can't split the heat source right now, so I'm gonna see how this plays out.
Extra straw, extra fresh warm water, and extra deep dishes of food.
We'll see how this works. Hope I still have all my birds in the morning...

 

[psimons2004]

No comments on dubbing huh? Is it considered inhumane. I would have thought that, but when they are already in pain...

 

[bockbock2008]

Quote:
Some may consider it inhumane but if called for, I pull the spurs off my roos so I wasn't advising against it completely. I just don't think there is enough injury to warrant dubbing to that beautiful comb

Now if it was shreaded, I'd say go ahead but I personally don't like the dubbed look so if it could be avoided....

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
I could tell ya how to dub, but like the others, it doesn`t look like frostbite to me either. I don`t consider dubbing inhumane, in fact, when the process is over, the birds acts like nothing happened at all. Same with cutting spurs. Your bird will heal just fine and keep his comb. Good pics by the way........Pop

 

[JodyJo]

Here is a pic of frostbite...

You may be doing more harm than good with the heater...we live in Colorado and last night got to -20....no added heat...the chickens do fine. As long as they are out of the wind and drafts.
The frostbite is caused when moisture builds up in the coop...so if you are adding heat, that makes it more humid inside. If it were me, I would wean them off the heat...now it will have to be a gradual thing, as they are used to the heat. If you lost power and the heater stopped working they would be plummeted into coldness and not be acclimated to it and that can cause severe issues.

Looks as if it were a fight, as far as I know, frostbit combs, don't bleed.