Water issue with rooster in winter

[Gwhite3678]

Hi there- me again!
I am having a issue with my rooster and the water system I’m using.
I have no electricity out to my coop so I am using a black rubber bowl for water that makes it easy to break out frozen water in the morning. It’s been working fine till this past weekend when it got much colder. I believe when my rooster drinks his really large wattles dip into the water and are feeezing. He now has frostbite on his wattles.
I am treating him with calendula salve but it’s going to keep happening if I don’t do something else with the water situation.
What are non electric required solutions?
None of my hens are having an issue so I do think his frostbite is from the water bowl and not a coop ventilation issue.
Thank you!

 

[aart]

I am treating him with calendula salve

Best not to touch frostbit tissue, can make it worse and introduce bacteria.
Got pics?

What are non electric required solutions?

There really aren't any.
Next year train them to horizontal nipples and get heat for the waterer.

 

[azygous]

I'm in the same boat. It was fourteen below and the warm water I supplied the hens in a black rubber bowl was safe for their short wattles, but I knew the roosters in their run would drag their wattles in the water and the wet wattles would be sure to freeze instantly. They got some light frost bite on their combs as it is.

What I did was to break out the quart chick waterers. The tray is narrow and wattles would be outside of it as they dipped their beaks to drink. While the water froze after a couple hours and needed changing for another waterer with warm water, their wattles did not freeze.

 

[aart]

What I did was to break out the quart chick waterers. The tray is narrow and wattles would be outside of it as they dipped their beaks to drink.

Excellent solution!

 

[Gwhite3678]

I'm in the same boat. It was fourteen below and the warm water I supplied the hens in a black rubber bowl was safe for their short wattles, but I knew the roosters in their run would drag their wattles in the water and the wet wattles would be sure to freeze instantly. They got some light frost bite on their combs as it is.

What I did was to break out the quart chick waterers. The tray is narrow and wattles would be outside of it as they dipped their beaks to drink. While the water froze after a couple hours and needed changing for another waterer with warm water, their wattles did not freeze.

I will try this!

 

[Gwhite3678]

Best not to touch frostbit tissue, can make it worse and introduce bacteria.
Got pics?


There really aren't any.
Next year train them to horizontal nipples and get heat for the waterer.

Oh ok!! I read on some other posts people putting bag balm ect but I’ll leave alone going forward

I can get pics tomorrow

 

[aart]

I read on some other posts people putting bag balm ect but I’ll leave alone going forward

Many say so.....but it's not a good idea either before or especially after.

Here's some progression pics of severe frostbite I have experienced:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/frostbite-in-sw-michigan.74597/

 

[Gwhite3678]

Many say so.....but it's not a good idea either before or especially after.

Here's some progression pics of severe frostbite I have experienced:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/frostbite-in-sw-michigan.74597/

My guys wattles look similar to the swollen pictures yours had, luckily nothing on comb but he has a rose comb I think it’s called. I’m going to switch to the small chick waterer and just go up often to refresh, luckily I work from home so can go up frequently.
I love my sweet rooster and hope he heals up nicely like your guy did.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Many say so.....but it's not a good idea either before or especially after.

Here's some progression pics of severe frostbite I have experienced:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/frostbite-in-sw-michigan.74597/

I am glad to have seen this article!

 

[aart]

My guys wattles look similar to the swollen pictures yours had, luckily nothing on comb but he has a rose comb I think it’s called. I’m going to switch to the small chick waterer and just go up often to refresh, luckily I work from home so can go up frequently.
I love my sweet rooster and hope he heals up nicely like your guy did.

The wattle swelling was very uncomfortable for him, more so than the combs, but that part only lasted a couple days.

That happened even tho I have horizontal nipples, they can drip a bit for some birds, but I've found that they love to nosh the snow banks and that can give all the birds some mild frostbite on the wattles.