I think my girl has frostbite

[Brenda Jones]

We have had below zero temps here and my girls will not stay in the coop, they choose to go out into the run which though it is closed it is the same temp as the outside due to the top ventilation, and door is only covered by some plastic sheeting. Her comb was fine yesterday and looked okay this morning when I let them out of the coop, but later looked like this... and has some blistering. I brought her in and put some Neosporin pain & scaring on it. My girls won't stay in the coop where it is a little warmer and out of the wind. When it is below zero I do put on a brood heater in there coop, but there is a huge amount of ventilation in there also, but it is in an enclosed garage, so it stays above zero anyway. Is there anything else I can do for her?

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes it is frostbite, and it can be painful. The frostbitten comb should not be rubbed or massaged, and ointments can freeze and add to frostbite. I don’t do anything to frostbitten combs or wattles, as treating them can cause more problems. The points of the comb may become more rounded off in weeks ahead when it heals.

 

[Brenda Jones]

Yes it is frostbite, and it can be painful. The frostbitten comb should not be rubbed or massaged, and ointments can freeze and add to frostbite. I don’t do anything to frostbitten combs or wattles, as treating them can cause more problems. The points of the comb may become more rounded off in weeks ahead when it heals.

Thank you @Eggcessive . It was pretty wet and blistered when I brought her in. I put the Neosporin on it but gently wiped the excess off after it was absorbed. Should I try to keep them in the coop when it is below zero.

 

[Eggcessive]

How much room do they have for how many chickens inside the coop? Are there windows or lighting? How does the run look? Is it covered? Chickens love to be outside if possible. But that is pretty cold. You can make wind breaks for them with bales of straw or hay. If the coop is large enough to keep them inside, that might be better when temps are under 15.

 

[Brenda Jones]

How much room do they have for how many chickens inside the coop? Are there windows or lighting? How does the run look? Is it covered? Chickens love to be outside if possible. But that is pretty cold. You can make wind breaks for them with bales of straw or hay. If the coop is large enough to keep them inside, that might be better when temps are under 15.

I only have 2 girls. Inside the garage- upstairs there 12 sq feet (36 cu. ft.) that is where they sleep and lay, downstairs there is about 48 sq. ft. I have ventilation windows around the entire top of the upstairs and the bottom is all hardware cloth- but I have it covered in cardboard and plastic sheeting to keep the wind down when we open the garage door. there is a pop door that leads to a 54 sq. foot outdoor enclosed (metal sheeting) run with ventilation around the top and the door is hardware cloth but is covered with plastic sheeting (except the top half)... that stays the same temp as outside. there is lighting in the coop (LED type) and a Christmas net lighting about 6-7 feet high in the run. I do have a brood heater mounted under their roost area (above the nesting area) it doesn't "heat" the coop, but does keep it above zero. We have been -20s in the mornings without the wind chill, but their coop remained at about 5-6 degrees above zero.