Hi everyone,
I'm hoping to get to the bottom of this frostbite issue. It's been a very mild winter so far, but we had a cold spell compounded by a large snow. In the midst of it, the coop door blew open and exposed the chickens to freezing wind and covered the floor with a dusting of snow for about an hour and a half. A few of the chickens have spots of frostbite on their combs and the rooster's comb looks just horrible.
I've been reading online and on here for info and this is where I'm hoping for help:
I've read everything from "do nothing, it will be fine" and "it happens" all the way to my chickens will die and I should put heat in the coop. I read that I should put neosporin on it and also that neosporin is toxic to birds and they'll die. Also that Vaseline prevents frostbite and that it does absolutely nothing to prevent it! HELP!!!! I feel badly that they're frostbitten, but I don't want to panic and start doing a bunch of "remedies" that might even make it worse.
Is this something that "just happens" or should I call P.E.T.A. on myself for horrible chicken keeping?
What do the old-timers do to prevent this?
Thank you to all that respond!
I'm hoping to get to the bottom of this frostbite issue. It's been a very mild winter so far, but we had a cold spell compounded by a large snow. In the midst of it, the coop door blew open and exposed the chickens to freezing wind and covered the floor with a dusting of snow for about an hour and a half. A few of the chickens have spots of frostbite on their combs and the rooster's comb looks just horrible.

I've read everything from "do nothing, it will be fine" and "it happens" all the way to my chickens will die and I should put heat in the coop. I read that I should put neosporin on it and also that neosporin is toxic to birds and they'll die. Also that Vaseline prevents frostbite and that it does absolutely nothing to prevent it! HELP!!!! I feel badly that they're frostbitten, but I don't want to panic and start doing a bunch of "remedies" that might even make it worse.
Is this something that "just happens" or should I call P.E.T.A. on myself for horrible chicken keeping?
What do the old-timers do to prevent this?
Thank you to all that respond!