Speckled Sussex Roo

[1ADAM12]

ok. So we have had some pretty cold temps recently. Lowest that I know of wasnlike -10f and highs like 10. Well my roo has a frost bit comb. By the looks will he lose it? Anything I can do to prevent it? I put Vaseline on him before temp plunged. Didn’t help lol.

 

[CapricornFarm]

First of all, you need LOTS of ventilation. If the humidity gets high in your coop that is when low temperatures cause frostbite. Can you post pictures of the inside of your coop so people can see where you might improve ventilation?
Some people use antibiotic ointment but some folks do nothing and they generally lose tips of their combs either way. Do not rub the comb as the flesh will likely fall off and there will be a lot of bleeding.

 

[AmazingRachel]

I used this when my roo got frostbite. It prevented infection and helped it heal quickly.

Your roo will most likely lose the white points but not the whole comb.

To prevent further frostbite, try adding more ventilation to the coop (without causing drafts). Maybe add some clear plastic wrap around to run as frostbite can be caused by very cold and strong winds.

 

[1ADAM12]

Ok I will take pics. It’s an Amish built coop. Two windows that I have open and a long slat above the roost thatnis ventalated. The girls Combs are fine though.

So even in winter with cold temps I should maybe have more ventalation? Having it open an exposed to the elements won’t hurt them???? Sorry fairly new to the chicken thing!

 

[AmazingRachel]

Ok I will take pics. It’s an Amish built coop. Two windows that I have open and a long slat above the roost thatnis ventalated. The girls Combs are fine though.

So even in winter with cold temps I should maybe have more ventalation? Having it open an exposed to the elements won’t hurt them???? Sorry fairly new to the chicken thing!

See if you can open anything up under the roof line to add more ventilation (cover openings with 1/4 in hardware cloth).
Maybe next year you should keep roos with pea combs to minimize the risk.
The good news is that frostbite on a rooster comb is non-life threatening and mostly cosmetic. There's some half truth to roos with frostbite not being fertile in that a roo in pain will not mate as often. The frostbite should heal by spring though.