pale & light purple combs

[Kathy1]

Tonite I noticed on my 2 girls their combs are not as red as usual and have a light purple tinge to them. I think this is the start of frostbite. I read somewhere that vaseline should be put on. Which I just did and I have put a 75 watt blue light on in their tiny coop for heat. I plan on going to the store to get vitamins. I think it is poly vi sol, the baby one, liquid. Is that right? Iron added or not?

Did I do the right things so far??.
I am in Mass and the temp today was about 23 degrees. They have been in colder weather so I dont understand why today.

Any thoughts? Please and thanks in advance to any replies

 

[#1California Chick]

No iron in the vitamins!

 

[Kathy1]

Grat thanks I was waiting to see an answer before I went to the store. poly vi sol no iron.


The rest of what I did was ok? the blue light and vasoline??

 

[Kathy1]

Ok and I forgot to ask how much poyvisol? I have a heated dogbowl waterer, holds about 16 ounces

 

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
Give them a couple of drops in the beak twice a day until the condition improves. Some people will say three drops three times a day and taper off, some will say another combination, but twice a day always seems to work for me.
Make sure you drop it into their beak so they swallow it themselves. Don't drop it down their throat.

 

[Kathy1]

Ok we just did that I held them while my DH gave the poly, one bird got it by beak and nibbling, the other opened her beak as he sqeezed the med against the seam of her beak and it shot right down. I think it went right down the right "pipe" as she didnt cough or make any noises, breathe funny like it went down the wrong way. etc. Doesnt that sound right?

 

[Kathy1]

Update.

I went out this morning and they looked better. But when I let them out to run around their combs started to change color to purple. So I gave more polyvisol, put more vasoline on and gave them some warmed veg all to eat, an a piece of apple. Then I shut them in the coop with a heat lamp. The temp in the coop is about 34 ish

How long does it take to have the start of frostbite turn into uhoh frostbite?

And when will I know if I have to "dub" them?

 

[CarriBrown]

I doubt you'll have to dub them if they are starting to look better already. The skin will look black if it dies and it will start at the tips of the comb, giving you plenty of time to get them heated up before their entire comb is dead. But keep the Vaseline on them and give them vitamins for a few more days. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Kathy1]

Thanks for all the info, we went out and did the driveway. came back and checked and they were sitting on top on the light, and their combs, 1 more than the other, are purple.

I have brought them in the house, I put their nesting box in a big dog crate in the bathroom and covered the floor with paper ....which they have shredded already lol


I dont understand why. they have been out in colder temps this winter, I dont know why now is different. They have a small coop, the chicken hutch one with the doors closed and a light for heat. It is obviously not stong enough. But why not have this happen before?? I had not wanted to add heat at all, so they would be winter hardy, but obviously they need it. Yet I see other in AK who use no heat what am I doing wrong??