roo's frostbitten comb.... help?!?!

[ksct]

Thank for reading - I know there are other posts on here about this issue..... BUT I had to ask anyway...
DH went to water the chickens this morning as usual. When he came back in he said Alfredo's comb is frostbitten. He gives them fresh water in the morning and when he gets home @ 5pm because i'm not home yet. And because it's pretty dark here at that time, they're locked in for the night. I may have been there last night but with it being so dark he didn't notice.
I didn't get to check it this morning but knew I needed to ask BYC what to do....
He said it's just the tips and i'm hoping they aren't too bad. He's got a big beautiful comb. very nice looking bird. I read to put A&D, or neosporin on it at night....... does it matter which? They were in their coop all day Sunday because it was beyond bitter cold, wind, windchill of about -10..... I hate leaving them in because they LOVE to be out but it was so cold. They were out during the day Monday and yesterday..... DH made the executive decision to keep them in today because it's only supposed to be 20ish with rain/drizzle as they put it.
We've never had chickens before and we're a little concerned about this. I wouldn't care if he lost his comb... we don't show him or anything.... I just don't want him to be in pain and/or sick.
Does it hurt him? Does a roo's comb have feeling in it?
If we need to put ointment on it.... i'll be checking his ladies' obviously much smaller combs and if they're a little off color or anything, should I put it on them as well? I don't want it to cause a pecking issue.

BTW they have an insulated coop with no humidity problems and a heat lamp that stays on in the cold cold (which it has been) and is on for them today.
thank you for the help in advance! i'm so anxious to get home today....

 

[OhMyItsAndyy]

Awh! Poor lil roo.
I can't be much help on what to do now i'm afriad, sorry. But vasoline is meant to stop it in the first place. There is a debate about it but it wouldnt hurt to put it on.

They get fristbitten when their combs are in a damp humidity and in cold weather with little or no ventilation... like ice freezing basically.
I know that the ends could dro pof, i don't know if theres anyway to stop that, i've not seen any way to stop it myself.

However i'm sure he isn't suffering. As long as he's eating ad drinking i wouldnt worry to much.

But yea, vasoline over their combs... worth a go

 

[The Chicken People]

I too am having frostbite issues! I have been using vaseline on my hens and DH thinks it is making them worse? I read that they will loose some of their combs and yes they feel pain but it will be okay!

 

[ksct]

is neosporin or A&D better for it than vaseline?
is it just meant to keep it moisturized?
what is the debate about it?

-just when I think we're doing well and having no issues.... i think we've had 1/2 of the ones i've read about on BYC. which i'm wishing we didn't but i'm soooo glad (espeically having never had chickens before) that i can use this site and everyones knowledge! lifesaver!!!!!

I'm not suprised others are having issues (unfortunately) it's cold everywhere in the US! sheesh.

Any other info on this subject is appreciated!
I don't have vaseline but I have neosporin and A&D..... one of these will be going on at least him. i don't think he's getting damp.. I think it's the bitter cold we've been having. which makes me feel better becuase I can't figure out what we'd do if it was 'our fault'

thanks!

 

[OhMyItsAndyy]

The debate is whether vaseline can prevent frost bite or not.
Some people agree, others disagree.
I'd put either on him. If they are both good for the frostbite, it's fine.

 

[ksct]

if the other birds do happen to peck him because i'm sure they'll see that it's shiney.......
are any of the lubricant options bad for their health?
Or is it just such a small amount that it won't affect them?

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[aveca]

Its just plain bad out. Our hens are all fine , they have a small heater in thier house and they go out for a second or 2 then right back in.......The rooster on the other hand despite we put 2 hens in with him, smeared him with vaseline and nice red light heat lamp looked like he got slimed, he still got pretty bad frostbite, and he has a heat lamp in his smaller house, the hens wernt stupid, they stayed inside near the lamp and food and water , but the roosters instinct is to watch the neighborhood so he stayed outside, I went out tried to herd him back into his house after I looked out the window and he was almost crouched down in the corner of the outside pen with high wind blowing snow over him...but he wouldnt stay inside, I finnally blocked them all in for the day and let them out for breif periods but hens knew better , they were like,... were good right here...not rooster, nosey neighbor...so I guess We need to see what the remedy is for this. ,Im sure they have a section, maybe someone can post it up top. the big hen house has no problems whatsoever with frostbite.
I called vet, she said depending on how bad it is, he may have to loose the comb, shes coming over next week. We did preventitive measures, I only wished I had blocked him in right away. I guess I knew better but thought its so brutal there is no way he will go outside and stay there, WRONG.. This weather just insnt letting up either. Someone told me yesterday it hasnt been this bad here since the 1970s.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Just to ease your mind a bit.....Last winter was my first year with the chickens and my handsome BO roo had a beautiful comb. I had tried the vaseline with no luck. He did lose about a 1/2" off the tip of each point. I could not tell that he was in pain much. He did his normal day to day thing. The black will fall off and blood may ooze but I was fortunate that I did not have much problems with pecking the injury. Being as cold as it was, I let nature take its course and the comb healed on its own. This winter he is having the same problem but not as much. Since you are not showing the bird do what feels right to you.
Good luck.

 

[ksct]

thank you to everyone!
When I get home i am going to put something on him. Even if it doesn't work, I can't imagine NOT doing anything for him. If parts fall off so be it. I just know how my hand feel when their dry in the winter, I can't imagine having frostbite and not being able to do anything for it.
aveca- i'm not far from waverly acutally. And I don't know about this being the worst since the 70's but this bitter cold nonsense is rediculious. My husky/shepard mix doesn't even like to be out in the weather. I think since the weather isn't going to be changing this week, they may be in for the next couple days. DH and I will be home Saturday all day So if it's not too bad, we'll be checking everything and maybe letting them out in the run in spurts. I know they won't like to be kept in. I don't think I can seperate him from his ladies.
This is so rediculious. Darn weather.
I'm sure I over worry (acutally I know I do because i've been told I do) but I don't want him in pain. Did I mention 'Darn The weather'?

 

[ksct]

Ok, so when I got home from work, DH and I went out and put some A&D ointment on our poor roo's comb. He wasn't at all as bad as I was expecting. BUT it still makes me sad that he got frostbitten. They're in again today. He was sooooo good for us last night. He's not a mean boy, we didn't aquire hime until later so he wasn't handled from day one like our ladies were. But i didn't think i could hold him and put the ointment on. He did very well. Once I had him he was perfect. I could have done it alone, but DH helped anyway.
Heard we're supposed to get some more nasty weather this weekend. I wanted to let them out in intervals on saturday when we're home all day but I'm thinking that's not going work. bummer. Thanks for all the advice etc. it's very helpful to be able to 'talk' to people that have knowledge or has been through it before.