Thanks for the tag. I looked carefully at the photos and what I don’t see are any blisters, which is encouraging. My chick, Scout, had big ugly blisters form on both feet later in the first day. Against advice and common sense I popped them, then I rigged a “hot tub” for him out of a glass candle lid. He got his Epsom salts spa treatment a couple of times a day and he absolutely loved it. Castor oil rubbed into his legs, stopping where the blisters had been, with raw honey on those areas and careful wrapping, kept him comfortable.
The scary thing about frostbite is that it can take weeks for the deep tissue damage to show. That was the case with Scout. He was doing great - walking correctly, taking care of his food, water and heat needs, and even getting into trouble from time to time. We took him out from time to time to with Mom out there and they picked up right where they left off. We thought he could safely be left with the flock, but we’re leaving town over Thanksgiving for a week so we opted to wait until we got home. Our granddaughter Katie was our chicken sitter at 8 years old, so we thought that if we put him out and something happened, she’d always think it was somehow her fault. She was used to his “in house” care so we knew maintaining that routine was best for both of them. While we were gone, the deep tissue damage reared it’s ugly head. It was bad. In just a few days he went from normal feet to twisted, swollen, and deformed feet. His ligaments and tendons were destroyed.
Scout went on to live outside at about 5 or 6 weeks old. He grew strong, he was exceedingly healthy, and his deformed feet didn’t even slow him down. He flew up onto the roosts at night and back down in the morning. He ran, scratched in the dirt, and bred the ladies with enthusiasm, if not skill. His toes remained useless appendages that were curled so much he looked like he was walking on stumps. I believe that without the castor oil to increase circulation to his legs, he’d have lost the use of more than just his toes.
The blisters I spoke of earlier can show up a few days after the frostbite. Open them or not, it’s up to you. Some say no. But I had little help available to me to figure out a treatment plan. Most frostbite threads here were for combs and wattles and only one addressed frostbitten legs. That poster never updated so there was no way to follow her plan, and I didn’t even know if her hen survived.
@Beekissed held my hand and helped tremendously.
From Scout I learned a few things: Doing nothing is not an option. The effects of severe frostbite can come slowly, one after the other. Blisters, a greenish or even blue tinge to the underside of the foot, hock walking instead of walking on the feet, possibility of secondary infection. Each thing, although part of the whole, has to be tackled as it comes. I learned how to use a heating pad to provide soft, even, gentle heat under a fluffy tent. He was my first Mama Heating Pad baby. I learned that once most of the effects of the injury and subsequent treatment been dealt with, it was time to put him back with the flock to learn to use what function he had left to thrive. And thrive he did!
I wish you all the best. The only thing I’d add to what you are doing I’d the castor oil rubdown to the point of the injury, raw honey (or Betadine) on the injured parts, bandages to keep poop and bedding from sticking to his (her? I forgot) feet, and time. Keep everyone updated.
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