Roo's frostbite has gotten worse - possibly infected...

[CMV]

Hm. When my rooster had frostbite, it was pretty much just two stages: 1) Turn black. 2) Fall off.

He started out with one of those tall pointy combs and ended his life with a smooth one.

Then your roo had a pretty mild case of it, and he got off lightly.

The frostbite I am talking about is a bit more severe than the cases in this post. I live in NH where the weather is...variable. It is not uncommon for us to have 40-50 degree temperature shifts in a 24 hour period. There have been weeks that started out at 0 degrees and ended at 70 degrees. Frostbite happens here all too often and cannot be prevented all the time because the air (inside and outside the coop) is so moist when the weather changes that radically, that quickly. When frostbite happens due to excess moisture inside the coop, the bird goes outside the coop and the dry air helps to dessicate the damaged areas more quickly. When you live in an area where frostbite is happening because the ambient air is very humid, then you don't have the benefit of the dry air working in your favor to aid in drying up a damaged comb (which was damaged because the air is so wet anyways). That's when you see the weepy, oozy stage.

I hope this helps to clarify.

 

[HappyPlace]

That does help, CMV. I live in Michigan and the weather here can be just as varying... Based on what you've written, though, we've been lucky to actually have relatively stable, if cold, weather lately.

My roo is actually about the same. If he is losing bits of the black, it's a tiny bit at a time because I haven't really noticed. He still has the white parts under the black, but otherwise, no issues.

I've still been using the bag balm on him. Whether it's me just rubbing his comb, or the way the balm feels, he seems to feel better after I put it on, so I've been just going with it.

Thank you to everyone expressing interest and giving advice. I appreciate it immensely.

 

[heath_elisha]

I have found this thread very helpful. Our rooster Big Red got frostbite on his crown and we have been monitoring it. We have had trouble with the hens pecking at him and he is in his second quarantine from the ladies. Last week part of his crown blistered up was full of fluid. My husband popped it and drained it and removed the excess flesh so that it could heal over. We were treating it with antibotic ointment. The past few days we have just left him be and hope that it heals up soon. However, the past couple days he has been breathing funny. You can hear it, kinda raspy. I am terrified that we might loose him. He is such a great bird and would be so very saddened if he were to pass. Just last we lost a hen unexpectedly and I do not want to loose anymore.......

 

[HappyPlace]

That's awful, Heath_elisha...

I really hope your roo pulls through.

Have you tried posting about the raspyness to see if anyone knows what it might be? Is there anything out of the ordinary other than the breathing and frostbite? Could he have possibly eaten some of the ointment? I've read a few places that certain ingredients in some antibiotic ointments can cause problems for birds. Hopefully, your roo isn't having a reaction and someone can help you.

 

[heath_elisha]

I have not looked into raspyness.... kinda hoping it just stops. It doesn't sound terrible, you can just tell a difference in his breathing. Nothing really out of the ordinary besides those two issues. I did notice he wan't eating as much scraps as normal- but maybe being by himself he is depressed? He is eating- but I figured the scraps would be gone fast. He has not eaten any of the goop we put on him... We did check him over thoroughly last night and he seems to be healing well. He does have more damage to his waddles that we just noticed though... not black, just white/yellowish around the edges of it. Lathered him up with bag balm last night and we are just hoping that it heals fast so that he can go back to the ladies. I am going to do some research on ventilation in the coop- hoping that it will solve the problem. The weather around here has been terrible. One day it is -10 and then couple days later it is up in the 50's. I am afraid that is why he got frost bite.

 

[heath_elisha]

Before frost bite





After frost bite.... still healing

 

[HappyPlace]

Sorry I haven't replied before now; I haven't had internet...

That's about what my little roo looked like, just not as far down the spikes on his comb. Most of the black has fallen off now, though there is still some damage visible and still some slight discoloration.

Has anyone been able to help you yet, Heath_elisha? It very well could be just because is by himself that he isn't eating scraps. Besides possibly being depressed/ill, he doesn't have competition, either, for them. Has he been showing any signs of improvement?

 

[heath_elisha]

Our rooster Big Red has been healing up wonderfully the past week or so. About every other day or so we lather him up with bag balm and every day he seems to be doing better. The weather has been warmer here in MA, so I think that also has helped in the healing process. He has no more breathing issues and he is eating scraps (still not as fast I think he should) but he is more vocal and sociable when we go into his pen now. In another week or so we will be putting him back in with the ladies, even though he still has some black on his crown. We will just have to monitor the ladies and see if they start pecking at him again. It has been a slow process- but he seems to be doing a whole lot better and I can not wait to see them all together again as a flock.