Humidity in the coop and frostbite

[ivan3]

RocketDad wrote: I've run into the Navy data before. They compiled medical information from years of having sailors on the decks in all weather. The military uses information like this to run ops, and to manage work-rest cycles. If there's one thing the military can be counted on, it's having meticulous paperwork for anything. Sometimes it's even useful.

Yes, usually reliable: I tend to trust research from A. Commercial Poultry Operations and B. The Military. Both groups are looking to maximize the output from each `unit of production' come heck or high water.

In another universe, long, long, ago I did time as an Army medic. The motto: "Preserve the Fighting Strength", i.e., vaccinate `em all, triage rapidly, patch up anyone who can still hold a rifle and get `em back to the front (usually just hand out APC's at sick call and boot their butts back to policing up the parking lots

). Procurement is horror, but they want even those guys healthy and in tip top shape so they can easily lift the suitcase of cash from the boys at Northrup/Grumman... (feeling cynical).

I'll keep digging for primary sources.

Have a great day!

RocketDad wrote: Chickens don't sweat. Perspiration on the comb is nonexistent

Yep, short between the ear phones.​

 

[chookchick]

I'm bumping this up again as it is timely--hopefully Patandchickens will weigh in on this....

 

[4Bchicks]

We live in northern Wisconsin, have just noticed white patches on a few combs. Two rhode islands have a little blck patch. I put ointment on all of their combs today. I have kept the coop closed at night, day temp 12 degrees. Coop temp averaged 35-40 with a reptile dark bulb. Should I not heat my coop or open window to prevent frostbite?
My first winter with chickens....thanks for any help.

 

[AVintageLife]

I have an 8' X 8' coop with seven chickens (five pullets and two cockerals) and a recently added heated dog bowl filled with sand with my plastic waterer on top (working great). My first winter with the flock as well. This morning the coop temp was 10 degrees with 85% humidity, same as exterior temp/humidity levels. I've read elsewhere on this site that it's good to keep the coop humidity even with the outside humidity and not go over. I think I have enough ventilation but I'm tempted to pop some holes at the peak of the roof line this weekend because last night I noticed one of my cockerals has darkened tips on his comb. He's the one that always sleeps on the end of the roost. The other one stuffs himself between the pullets and his comb looks fine. I left the coop door propped open this morning, cleaned up the poop board (under the roost with PDZ) and threw down some scratch so they'd stir up the DL. The past few days have been down in the single digits and I went several days between poop board cleaning. Could the addition of the heated water bowl and/or the few days between poop board cleaning be the cause of the frostbite on the comb? None of the hens have much in the way of combs and they all look fine.