Looks like she has frost bite. What should I do?

[chicken_angler]

A while back I got 5 free hens off craigslist. I do NOT think they are all hens. They are supposed to be two years old. Anyways I was watchicng my hens the other day and I saw that this one with a purple comb. I was like Uhh oh.

What should I do? This chicken and 2 others like her dont do anything except sleep all day and eat a lot.

I am going through 25 lbs. of feed each week for 15 birds.


What should I do? Should I cook her?

Cody!!

 

[mikarod]

Can you post photos of these birds?

the purple comb usually means that there is a heart problem and the blood is not reaching the comb in sufficient amounts.

 

[chicken_angler]

I dont have photos yet cause I just noticed this earlier. I can get some in the morn if I dont have school.

 

[chicken_angler]

Ohh it isnt birds. It is just her. None of my origional flock has this.

 

[chickenmum]

You could gently rub petroleum jelly on it. That's what I do to the big combs sometimes. I might help with frostbite. I put petroleum jelly on my big-combed ones.

 

[chicken_angler]

She has a small comb and never has any energy. Will she recover if it is frostbite?

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

If its frostbite don't worry about it to much, there's not much you can do. rubbing petroleum jelly on combs only helps prevent frostbite, if the damage is already done you could rub a bit of antibiotic ointment on it. More importantly is to get her out of the extreme cold so shut her in the coup till it passes or bring her inside. right now the most important thing to do with frostbite is not allow any additional areas to become effected, or the effected area to refreeze. the true extent of the damage wont show for a few days after you begin seeing the initial signs. after the damage is done all you can do is watch her for signs of infections which in severe cases can lead to gangrene. after the tips of her comb turn from purple to black they will start flaking off. the comb will not regrow but she should be fine.

 

[chicken_angler]

What do you mean by she could be fine? Will she live or will she not make it? We are getting -3 degrees tomorrow. What should i do? I dont know If I can have her in the house.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

Just close the coop doors to keep their body heat inside the coop with them (chickens put off alot of heat) and close out drafts. unless its severe frostbite (large area) and its hard to say without out seeing clear photos of the effected area she will likely make a full recovery. she'll just be missing a part of her comb.

we just came out of a cold snap, 2 weeks at -35F lows and highs of -15F. after day 10 of the cold snap we started seeing birds with frostbite. All are still doing ok.