Michigan

[9chickens]

I apologize if my post was incorrect. I stand clarified.

 

[taprock]

Raz - I don't think you would see blood with either frostbite or Fowlpox. (correct me if I'm wrong Olive

). I've never experienced Fowl Pox but I understand it starts out as a white bump. I did deal with frostbite last year. In the entire loss of a toe there was never any blood. There was lots of swelling and then everything turned black. I have found blood splatters on the cover of my feed container in the past. After going over everyone I found a pecked head. The injury was very small but because it was on the head when they shook their head it splattered everywhere. It only required topical care. It was a pecking order issue. When I had too many roos this fall they would pick at each other and I could tell by the black scabs on their combs.

 

[Olive Hill]

Taprock - You're right that blood is not a primary symptom of either but it can be a secondary symptom of both. In the case of fowl pox the "scabs" that make up the lesions can be bumped, brushed or scraped off -- and even sometimes just shed naturally, which is another mode of transmission as the contain the virus -- and underneath is raw and sometimes bloody sores. In the case of frostbite it decreases sensation in the affected portions of the comb so they can injure it, before it dies off completely there is still some blood supply so that can result in bleeding. And like you observed when your's was injured the blood can easily get everywhere even when it's not a big injury. So they might poke the comb on the fence or a stick and then get blood all over the place. Of course injuries happen even when there is not frostbite present, like you had. And in the case of discoloration from disease you can have some pecking out of interest in the discolored flesh that can cause bleeding as well. So, I guess in a nutshell, what I'm saying is the blood doesn't tell us much of anything. Blood happens. It neither rules out nor confirms any one cause.

 

[Mom 2em All]

I just candled the eggs that I put in the incubator- and some have major movement! All is not lost, so I cant wait to see if any hatch.
Just what I needed- baby chicks in the house all winter.

 

[snowflake]

Hi, will catch up on last 2 days of posts after work, but I have a question for any one that bought Marans from Jerry in Ada. Did you get them as chicks or pullets? As 4 of the 5 birds(1 roo) I lost with this coccidia, stongyles, attack were Marans and I think the 3 hens were pullets when I bought them. I am thinking they may not have been treated for the cocci so they can be sold as organic. I had them for 3 mo before they got real sick, NOT saying they came from Jerry sick; just trying to figure out how to prevent a reaccurance. 2 of my Marans from Jerry (I got as chicks and I think I gave them medicated feed) are doing very well and laying again. So my question is if you got them as chicks did you vacinate or use med. feed, if you got them as pullets did you treat in any way for cocci? Or do you treat reg. for parasites? Have to go to work now but will check back later this eve. ......And

to all the new Mi. BYCers

 

[M.sue]

Quote:
Raz -- You're right that humidity plays a big role in frostbite, but I'm not convinced that's what you're seeing. That's for a few reasons. Yes, wet days during our cold months are the riskiest for developing frost bite, but that doesn't necessarily extend to "humid" days. The really risky days are actually those january thaw days or those late Feb/early March days when everything is frozen, the temp barely rises above freezing and it drizzles all day long. Unless your weather was very different than the weather here, today was just not a day with much of any frostbite risk. Another reason I'm unconvinced is that frostbite doesn't usually show up at black right off the bat. If they had been frostbitten today the tips would probably be swollen, pale and/or grey-ish. Maybe with a purplish undertone, but not usually black right off. The comb coming in contact with the outside of the plastic waterer, unless it is left wet which then would transfer to the comb, is not a risk. Did your chickens stand outside in the cold rain and wind yesterday? I might be more inclined to think frost bite if they did... but even then... I wouldn't expect the comb tips to be black already. It's a slow onset and I would expect it to be especially slow in our current weather conditions.

The other thing is that purpling of the comb tips can be a sign of septicemic infectious tenosynovitis.

Can you post a picture?

I'd like to see a pic if possible . Could the black spots be from a pecking dispute or just dirty? This is very informative....it's my first winter with chickens. I inquired about this a while back and got a wonderful answer/explaination.

Was just skimming posts and attempting to catch up and seen Taprocks thoughts...similar to mine. Would still like to see a pic if possible.

 

[1muttsfan]

Mom 1 thing that can cause a coop to stay very cold is a lack of ventilation. When you covered the window it may have reduced airflow as well. Before you start heating,try leaving a window cracked open at night. Inadequate ventilation can increase the risk of frostbite and respiratory infections. Chickens are really very cold tolerant, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about the coop feeling cold, it may be that the outside air temp has warmed enough for you to notice a difference but the coop will warm up a soon a you open the pop door.

 

[RaZ]

Thanks for the responses. I shot a few pictures this morning of the "damage"...Getting chickens to pose is a PITA.

Extra is the BO with a rather large comb that flops over to one side like a bad comb-over.
Broast(er)'s comb is little more difficult to see in these pictures but has a similar condition. None of the other hens are showing any discolouration of their combs.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Raz

When you had your heat lamp on, was it an area where they could stick their head under and burn their comb?
I am speaking out of pure ignorance of what is wrong with them, but their combs look like my Veiled Chameleon's ummm, veil? did when he burned it on his ceramic heat emitter.

 

[RBahmer]

Good morning everyone. Well, my day has already started out bad. I get up and check my eggs. Nothing else has hatched. So then I get my coffee. Just sit it down on the table and this terrible cat I have ( I love her lol) goes skidding across the table playing and there goes my coffee. I clean that mess up and scold her about running in the house. Drink my new cup of coffee and go out to do chores. Snow on the ground (ugh). Chickens are all ok. Gather my eggs in my basket and set them on a barrel to do something else and the barrel tips over and my eggs go tumbling and break !!! What a day already. Maybe I should have stayed in bed ! Oh ya , son gets up and is ornery cause dog barked and woke him up. I give up lol.