SEVERELY Frostbitten Toes - Update **Graphic Pictures**

[hen-thusiast]

Quote:
They are drinking the Avia Charge 2000. Due to the louse problem, the stress and suspected poor nutrition we decided for Avia Charge instead of aspirin. Do you think we should use the aspirin instead?

Made a vet appointment today for 2:30 with an avian vet.

 

[JAMcG]

About 8 years ago, we rescued a rooster who had badly frostbitten feet. I'm thinking we put "Bag-balm" on them, but can't remember for sure, anyhow, he ended up losing all his toes. He is alive to this day, doing very well! He grew a sort of caloused pad on the ends of his feet, and gets around great. The stone driveway hurts his stumps, so he learned to fly over the driveway to get to the grass on the other side. I bought him a dozen laying hens that he looks over, and is quite happy. My husband built special perches for him roost on, that are about 4 inches wide so he can balance without toes. Since we rescued him, I made sure he never had to go through that again, and has a heated coop where he and his hens are at this very moment. I''m not sure how long chickens live, but I hope "Luckey" is around for many more years to come, we just adore him! When the weather is nice, he is allowed to free-range with his hens, and has no trouble what-so-ever keeping up with them.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

I just want to say Thank You! Thank you for taking on the responsibility for caring for these three girls. Thank you for making their days from yesterday forward better. Thank you for being a chicken lover. Thank you.

 

[hen-thusiast]

Thank you JAMcG, that is very encouraging to hear.

Got back from the avian vet a bit ago. He gave them a "reasonable" chance of keeping some of their feet. He also put them on a pill antibiotic (Baytril 22.7mg tablet) once a day, told us to clean the shaving regularly and suggested to wash their feet with Betadine occasionally. He said that was all he could really do, nature would have to do the rest.

They appear to be fighters and are eagerly eating and drinking. The third one, without frostbite, bit me today, so she obviously feels fine as well. Thanks for the advice and the encouraging words.

 

[IN-farmgirl]

This sounds like a story with a happy ending. I would love to see pictures of your special girls.

 

[ChickenladyinMN]

I have had 2 roosters lose toes and their feet to frostbite. I had to take the second one to the vet and they had us use vitamin E cream and wrap the area with gauze then vetwrap. We also had to soak the feet in a lukewarm tub before wrapping. When the toes fell off we had to try to keep the bleeding to a minimum by keeping them in a box so that all they could do was sit. My youngest one is doing just fine however I have not been able to reintroduce him to the flock since the other rooster is now the dominate one. He was on antibiotics and pain med perscribed by the vet.

 

[azygous]

What conditions cause frost bitten feet in chickens? Even though I live where it gets extremely cold, it'll be zero here tonight as a matter of fact, my chickens haven't had frost bite.

Of course they're pampered and spoiled, insulated coop with a heat lamp, and plastic covered run, completely shielded from the wind. There's also a heat lamp in the run so they can warm themselves under it.

Is this enough? Is it the wind-chill that causes frost bite? Will they be okay as long as they don't get their feet wet and they don't go out into the wind?

As for my rooster, he simply refuses to come out of his compartment in the coop when it's below freezing. Somehow he can tell without even sticking his head out. On the other hand, the hens like to be out in the run most of the day. The do go into the coop to warm up, though.

Maybe I worry too much.

 

[dlhunicorn]

dlhunicorn wrote:
Use ASPIRIN and not an aspirin substitue like NSAID etc. One childrens strength aspirin to a half gallon of water in this case (dribble some along the beak once every hour if you can). If they are not wanting to drink then put ellectrolytes in their water and use the aspirin water to dribble along in their beak regular. (do not mix the aspirin in with electrolytes)

They are drinking the Avia Charge 2000. Due to the louse problem, the stress and suspected poor nutrition we decided for Avia Charge instead of aspirin. Do you think we should use the aspirin instead?

Made a vet appointment today for 2:30 with an avian vet

I am so glad you have aviacharge... you can mix that in with a wee bit of cooked oatmeal and then mix THAT in with their feed , freeing up the water for electrolytes or aspirin.
Ask the avian vet for meloxicam for pain... it can be used longer with less side effects than the aspirin. Also ask for (topical application) ivermectin ...it will address worms as well as most of those lice.​

 

[JakRat]

Quote:
I am curious too, I cannot get rid of this frostbite on their combs! 5 of my girls have it and one does not! I am confused... maybe it isnt frostbite at all but maybe they are picking on each other??

 

[hen-thusiast]

Quote:
Since these chickens came with the frostbite I don't know exactly what conditions caused it. I can tell you that these two chickens didn't have a plastic covered run and weren't shielded from the wind, snow and ice. There was a small, insulated coop they could go in, but to eat food they had to stand on snow and ice. They probably had limited access to unfrozen water. We also think that they probably weren't locked up properly one, or possible more, nights.

Our current flock of chickens have an insulated hen house, an indoor run and a covered outdoor run and have not had any problems with frostbite.