How to protect comb from frostbite?

[ButtonHoarder]

I’m not super worried about my EEs and Ameraucanas but my Speckled Sussex has a big floppy comb, I’ve heard of people putting Vaseline? Does that work?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Don't. Keep their pen area dry and out of drafts. How cold does it tend to get and do you have damp or dry winters?

 

[Kanekoded]

I’m not super worried about my EEs and Ameraucanas but my Speckled Sussex has a big floppy comb, I’ve heard of people putting Vaseline? Does that work?

In my experience, I didn't find Vaseline to very helpful because it wears off too quickly...it might work if you committed to applying it 10x a day but who wants to do that?

The trick to helping prevent frostbite is to keep your coop as dry, vented and draft free as possible to avoid any condensation. Also, don't feed any steamy warm treats because the steam can easily cause the comb and wattles to instantly freeze. That's the best advice I can give you.

EDITED*** One more thing, make sure your roosting bar is wide enough - I use a 2x4. That way when your chickens are roosting their feet are flat and not curled around the perch. Roosting flat footed allows them to completely cover their toes.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Is there proper ventilation?

Unfortunately, odds are that there is going to be comb and wattle frostbite at those temperatures. We lose single comb tines and large wattles every year (practically a right of passage now for cockerels) and we get to-20 and -30 Fahrenheit

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Don't. Keep their pen area dry and out of drafts. How cold does it tend to get and do you have damp or dry winters?

It can get to -40 C
Their coop stays dry.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

Is there proper ventilation?

Unfortunately, odds are that there is going to be comb and wattle frostbite at those temperatures. We lose single comb tines and large wattles every year (practically a right of passage now for cockerels) and we get to-20 and -30 Fahrenheit

I actually just finished building the coop they are going to live in for the winter, just have to put the door on. It’s made of fescue straw bales. I think it has good ventilation?

 

[Chold05]

It’s also helpful to switch to a nipple waterer in the winter (if you don’t already use that kind of setup) that way they aren’t dipping their wattles in water/reduces dripping down their face.

 

[centrarchid]

In high frost-bite risk settings I would consider dubbing. With respect to loss of comb and wattles the outcome is the same although risk of infection is much lower with dubbing. Birds in poor health fighting off infection often have other extremities at risk such as toes.

My chickens are outside and sometimes even roosting in trees when temperature is < -10 F and winds make for considerable wind chill, so they often have a tougher time than birds cooped at far lower temperatures. I really make an effort have the chickens in good weight and feather as well as with crops packed with energy dense food as going to roost during those conditions.

With chickens roosting in more protected environments, the frostbite often occurs during the day if birds cannot get out of wind and / or off really could ground. Under those conditions I like to put out mounds of straw / hay that the chickens can settle on to protect their feet. If their feet get too cold, they may have to shunt heat away from all extremities such as comb and wattles.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have not had too bad a problem in very dry cold weather. When I will get frostbite, is when we have had cold weather, we get a chinook, everything thaws out, including the manure in the coop, and snow and ice melt, and then that night, the temperature drops like a rock. From 60 degrees to 0. THAT is when I will have frostbite.

Best thing is to get the damp bedding out of the coop, and replace with dry bedding.

Mrs K

 

[ButtonHoarder]

It’s also helpful to switch to a nipple waterer in the winter (if you don’t already use that kind of setup) that way they aren’t dipping their wattles in water/reduces dripping down their face.

I do have one for them but one of the nipples fell out, but I think you can get replacements.