My roosters wattles are black!!! Need help

[Missy020219]

My roosters wattle is black!!! What should I do?

 

[Missy020219]

They are also swollen.

 

[Warwickchickenhill]

My roosters wattle is black!!! What should I do? View attachment 2508193

Frost bite possible?

 

[Kirkwooder]

What you are seeing is frostbite. The tips of his comb and the bottoms of his wattles have frozen. They will likely bleed some as the dead tissue sheds off. It will look bad butt will likely heal up and be fine. You could put some antibiotic ointment on them if it would make you feel better. It won't do much for him though.

 

[Myrshine]

This looks a lot like frostbite as others have mentioned, but to know for sure, I’d like to ask questions about it. Are his waddles swollen or sore to the touch?

 

[Isaac 0]

Once frostbite is well developed there is nothing you can do to reverse what you're seeing - the tissue is necrotic. Coating the comb likely won't help much, and touching the tissue may prove a further irritation to him. Attempts to lower humidity by increasing ventilation in the coop can help prevent the onset of frostbite, but in Canada, It's pretty much-expected unfortunately.

 

[Missy020219]

This looks a lot like frostbite as others have mentioned, but to know for sure, I’d like to ask questions about it. Are his waddles swollen or sore to the touch?

Both. They I are about triple the size they usually are. And when I try to touch them he jerks his I head away

 

[Missy020219]

What you are seeing is frostbite. The tips of his comb and the bottoms of his wattles have frozen. They will likely bleed some as the dead tissue sheds off. It will look bad butt will likely heal up and be fine. You could put some antibiotic ointment on them if it would make you feel better. It won't do much for him though.

So I pretty much do nothing? But he’ll be ok?

 

[Kirkwooder]

Pretty much. As you will read in hundreds of posts here, humidity often causes frostbite. However, most first winter roos and some hens, like Leghorns with their large combs, tend to get some frostbite that kills off the edges of both the waddles and tips of the combs. By the time an old rooster has a couple winters under their belt their their combs and waddles are somewhat reduced. Fix and moisture issues and try to keep down any breeze while not reducing the ventilation of their coupe, and your roo should be fine.

 

[Missy020219]

Pretty much. As you will read in hundreds of posts here, humidity often causes frostbite. However, most first winter roos and some hens, like Leghorns with their large combs, tend to get some frostbite that kills off the edges of both the waddles and tips of the combs. By the time an old rooster has a couple winters under their belt their their combs and waddles are somewhat reduced. Fix and moisture issues and try to keep down any breeze while not reducing the ventilation of their coupe, and your roo should be fine.

Ok. How long until his wattles will start to bleed if they will?