very swollen wattles -- infection?

[frankenchick]

DH has been feeding/watering chickens for me for the last several days, so I'm not sure how quickly it happened. We've had several below-zero days, and this morning when I went down to the coop, I noticed that my BLRW roo had very swollen wattles. It also looks as if someone smeared black ink along the lower outside of his right wattle.

Is this frostbite + infection? What can I do for him?

 

[victor1800]

I am gonna guess it is frostbite, was it only one chicken?

 

[frankenchick]

As far as I could tell, it was only the roo.

ETA: I looked up favus, and am pretty sure it's not that.

 

[ladycrotalus]

One of my roosters is swollen too, he was normal yesterday but there was -31 degrees out last night despite them having a heat lamp in the coop and loads of straw. Should i bring him inside? The other 3 roosters are fine aswell as the hens and guineas and ducks.

 

[crtrlovr]

It sounds like it could be frostbite from where the wattles get wet as they get a drink. I've had that happen to 2 of my roos. The ones with the biggest, most dangling wattles got frostbite right at the point where the wattle brushed the rim of the waterer. I'm really thinking of going to the 5 gal. bucket waterer with the poultry nipples. Sounds like it would be a win-win here, and to think of no more dirty water... that's just delightful! You might try putting vaseline on the wattles & combs to protect them from the cold & moisture.

 

[odd87]

HI there, I too have some frostbite issues on the waddles of the roosters. I'm hoping someone will chime in on what to do when they are swollen. I started mine on betadine twice a day with some neosporin also on the combs. Is there anything else that can be done for them?

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Sounds like frostbite. I have been putting vaseline on my three roosters.

 

[motoclown]

My rooster has swollen waddles and black around the outside too, It was very cold the other night.
I'll try the vaseline & noesporin tonight, we broke 30 degrees outside today..........

Any other suggestions if it gets worse............?

 

[jgravilusmc]

i've always heard the vasaline on the combs and waddles

 

[Lothiriel]

My roo got frostbite yesterday (-10 at 8 AM -- no clue what temp during the night). Same thing: black on the edges of the wattles, and his comb points are black/purple too. I'll do the Vaseline, but is there anything else to do? Does the frostbitten part eventually fall off or what?