Rooster got frostbite, not leaving the coop, what should i do?

[Jemma Rider]

I'm back again, and it's about my rooster, again. I had to visit my grandparents last weekend and while i was gone everything that could go wrong went wrong. My heater for my waterer stoped working and the chickens didn't have water for two days. and when i got home and started to fix everything i noticed that the tips of my roosters comb were very dark looking. I couldn't bring him inside so i just slathered Vaseline all over it. This morning i woke up and his comb had gotten worse.the tips are still dark but now there's these pimply looking things on it. I think the bumps of his comb turned white. I brought him inside for about thirty minuets but my parents have a strict no chickens in the house rule so i had to stand by the door and i couldn't keep him inside long. His comb became not warm but what i thought seemed like a comfortable temperature and then i slathered so much Vaseline on it it's ridiculous and put him back outside. He didn't come out of the coop this morning even when i called him (he's more dog than rooster and loves morning treats) i had to go and get him out. And last time i checked he was still in the run. I am going to see if i can set up an area for him in the garage but if i can't I'm going to heat the coop. I know there's risk of fire but i use sand as litter and i don't see any other way i can keep him outside. Here's a picture of his comb with a thin layer of Vaseline i put more on when i went outside but you can see the discoloration.

 

[wamtazlady]

Your rooster most likely got frostbite not because your coop wasn't warm enough, but that you are lacking ventilation. A dry chicken is a warm chicken. My chickens did well last winter at -22 F and didn't get frostbite.

 

[Jemma Rider]

Your rooster most likely got frostbite not because your coop wasn't warm enough, but that you are lacking ventilation. A dry chicken is a warm chicken. My chickens did well last winter at -22 F and didn't get frostbite.

But i have vents. Two very large ones on both sides of my coop. I just cleared them in November and already checked, both are clear. My Windows have screens behind them so i crack both the windows just in case but the humidity really isn't high. I've been meaning to set up a humidity gauge to check anyway. But how do i treat this? He's been outside all day so i assume he's not incredibly cold, his comb is covered in Vaseline I've been going out every hour or so to make sure he's not rubbing it and to apply more. I can't bring him inside and I'm honestly starting to think that heating the coop would be best to be safe. I know chickens can survive in very low temperatures but this is Roosters first winter he's only about six months old and his comb is huge. All the others have pea combs so they are perfectly comfortable.

 

[wamtazlady]

Is any breeze blowing on the birds from you windows being cracked? How many chickens do you have and how many square feet of vent up high do you have? You need about 1 square foot of vent for every chicken. Is the birds' roost low enough so that no breeze from the vents get to them?

For example. I have several vents. The coop has two 1 by 3 foot vents up at about 5 feet high. It also has a 2 by 2 foot vent in the back which is lower but gets no breeze due to its location by the house. The pop door is also open year round into a run that has its sides covered in clear vinyl except for the side next to the house. The window is closed until Spring. The roost is at 22 inches off the floor.

Sorry to have asked you so many questions. I'm just concerned that if the rooster has gotten frostbite that maybe your chickens are not keeping themselves as warm as they should. Remember, even a sparrow with lots less down than a chicken can be comfy when it's cold. I'm also concerned if you use a heat lamp. So far this year I've read about 2 coop fires.

 

[Jemma Rider]

Is any breeze blowing on the birds from you windows being cracked? How many chickens do you have and how many square feet of vent up high do you have? You need about 1 square foot of vent for every chicken. Is the birds' roost low enough so that no breeze from the vents get to them?

For example. I have several vents. The coop has two 1 by 3 foot vents up at about 5 feet high. It also has a 2 by 2 foot vent in the back which is lower but gets no breeze due to its location by the house. The pop door is also open year round into a run that has its sides covered in clear vinyl except for the side next to the house. The window is closed until Spring. The roost is at 22 inches off the floor.

Sorry to have asked you so many questions. I'm just concerned that if the rooster has gotten frostbite that maybe your chickens are not keeping themselves as warm as they should. Remember, even a sparrow with lots less down than a chicken can be comfy when it's cold. I'm also concerned if you use a heat lamp. So far this year I've read about 2 coop fires.

I have five chickens, four hens and one cockeral (i call him a rooster most of the time). I plan to get more hens in the spring but my boy isn't mature yet so I'm not in a big rush. i close the windows at night there is a breeze if i leave them open but i close them. The vents are up near the coop roof I'd guess that they are both two square feet but I've never measured them. I bought my chickens from a friend and they've always lived in this coop. Their old owner took care of them but wasn't very vigilant and didn't upkeep the coop very well so the vents were both blocked with dust when i got them. There is no breeze over the roosts, only up in the rafters.
I know of the dangers, and I've read of a coop fire recently but i really think it's a matter of securing the lamp well. As pets i also have exotic reptiles living inside, i use heat lamps for all of them and am very vigilant in preventing any fires. I also use sand as a liter in the coop so I'm wondering if that decreases the chances of a fire starting? I don't really know if there's any other way to keep him warm without bringing him inside. The lamp would only be on for a few weeks until it just gets above freezing, and then i would turn it off, he's my favorite chicken i really want him to be comfortable.