I think one of my chickens has frostbite on a toe?

[LegHorn-BusHorn]

Should I bring her in and then, if I do how soon can I put her back out?

 

[azygous]

There have been a rash of frostbite incidents, no surprise since it's been a wicked winter so far just about every where.

But it would certainly help all of us, as well as help you, if you would describe the conditions and circumstances leading you to believe your chicken has suffered frostbite.

How cold was it? Was the wind blowing and your chicken exposed to it? Did your chicken get wet, comb, wattles, feet? How did it get wet?

If none of those conditions were present, then the frost bite might just be a pecking wound, or a skin disease.

Also, I'd like to learn from all these frost bite cases how it occurred so I can prevent it happening to my flock. It was two below this morning and later it hasn't warmed above twenty. My rooster, who normally has the job of patrolling the exterior of the run, is in a crate in the garage in a sunny window. He HATES cold so is happy as a clam.

But the hens are intrepid souls, and love to be out in the run most all day. It's plastic covered, and totally sheltered from the wind, but I still worry it may be so cold on the ground that their feet may still get frost bitten, even though there's a heat lamp for them to warm themselves under. Not knowing how all these cases of frost bitten feet came about, I am extremely worried it could happen to my girls in spite of all the precautions.

So, all information any one has in this regard, will be extremely useful to all of us.