Only one has frostbite

[Dhkoenig]

My flock of 9 have a nicely ventilated coop, and this winter they have so far (knock wood because it is 0 degrees today) been great except ONE of my ladies (several of them have large combs) seems to get blackish (Not completely black black) tips of her combs when the weather gets cold. It waxes and wanes and doesn't even have to be THAT cold for it to be blackish on the ends. Sometimes I think her comb is just dirty like she's been digging, but it seems to be like that a lot of the time. She acts normal, lays daily, (even tho it is winter - she is 8.5 months old but why would only one have this issue? I have four other chickens with equally as large (larger! Floppier!) combs who don't have that.

 

[nuthatched]

Can you get pictures? It sounds like a blood pressure thing.

 

[Dhkoenig]

OH! Okay will grab a picture later. I think I made things worse because I put Mushers Secret on her comb (lots of people report that this is safer than vaseline because it is wax based and doesn't retain moisture) but it is single digits today and it looks worse now. she is acting totally fine - gobbling down food, nothing weird - just has a frost-bite looking comb

 

[Dhkoenig]

Can you get pictures? It sounds like a blood pressure thing.

 

[Dhkoenig]

Okay was able to grab these today. Thoughts? Nobody else has this and she acts totally 100 % normal! Lays daily, eats really healthy and is one of the top of the pecking order so I am scratching my head on this one!

 

[nuthatched]

Okay was able to grab these today. Thoughts? Nobody else has this and she acts totally 100 % normal! Lays daily, eats really healthy and is one of the top of the pecking order so I am scratching my head on this one!

That does look like frostbite, did you have a warm spell about 2 weeks ago?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

OH! Okay will grab a picture later. I think I made things worse because I put Mushers Secret on her comb (lots of people report that this is safer than vaseline because it is wax based and doesn't retain moisture) but it is single digits today and it looks worse now. she is acting totally fine - gobbling down food, nothing weird - just has a frost-bite looking comb

See if the comb will clean up.
You put ointment/musher's secret on the comb which will attract dirt.

 

[Dhkoenig]

That does look like frostbite, did you have a warm spell about 2 weeks ago?

Yes we did! We have had a few of those - a very mild winter with a few arctic fronts coming through in between

 

[nuthatched]

Yes we did! We have had a few of those - a very mild winter with a few arctic fronts coming through in between

When it gets warm and everything thaws, that's when there's moisture in the air and she got frostbite. It's not your fault, you can't control the humidity. She might lose the top of her comb or it might heal, just keep an eye on it if it seems to get infected.