This cold snap is not going well. The low temp last night was -13-F (-25-C), and frostbite is attacking my roosters and their big, beautiful combs. I have some high ventilation well above their heads, no drafts I can find, and heat lamps in place. The heat lamps aren't doing much good at all; it's still only 3-deg-F, -16-C, inside the coop. There is zero condensation on the windows, so I think the humidity remains low inside. Droppings freeze within minutes. Still, we have frostbite. I thought I was doing everything right, but could not bring myself to open vents all the way and turn off the heat.
It's not going to get above 0-F (-18-C) today, and tonight's forecast is about the same as last night. So there's no relief yet.
I'm certain George is going to lose his entire comb - all the tips and halfway into the meat - to frostbite. And parts of his wattles. The only pink left is the bottom half of the meaty area; everything else is purple, black or gray. The two girls are okay, and Baby Abigail doesn't have any comb yet. Poor guy, I feel sorry for him even though he's a dickhead.
My other Bresse rooster, Sam, is in the big coop with my large heritage flock. He's showing some frostbite too, but not so bad as George. The mixed breed roosters there also have large single combs and have frostbite on combs and wattles. All of the hens appear to be okay, even those still in molt.
This might make me re-think the wisdom of keeping any single-comb chickens in our region, including Bresse, where they're prone to frostbite. But it's tough here - we get the worst summer heat (over 100-F, 38-C), and arctic cold like this week. I need a breed that's tolerant to both, and has all the great dual-purpose features I want.
