What happened to my boy?

[Robin'sBrood]

We got a frost last night, the ground was covered this morning, so it was pretty cold during the night. I let 4 my chickens out of their large plastic dog house coop this morning and my SLW roo's comb had black spots on it, spots that weren't there yesterday. Did he get too cold during the night? The chickens insist on sleeping on the floor (which has pine shavings) even though they have a board to roost on. The girls, all with single combs, don't have black spots on their combs... I would think if the cold damaged his comb it would have damaged theirs too. Did one of the girls peck on his comb? Will the spots go away? Other than the spots he seems fine.

 

[MissPrissy]

What were the overnight temps?

I think it is still too warm for frostbite.

 

[horsejody]

Does his comb touch the top of the dog house? Maybe his comb was against the cold wall or roof and lost some circulation. If there a draft in the coop? Maybe the cold wind got his comb a bit.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

I'm not sure what the temp here got down to but I know it was cold when I got up, burr! Here is what our local newspaper said yesterday...

Temperatures in the Raleigh area are forecast to drop to 35 degrees tonight and the low 30s on Tuesday night and again overnight Wednesday.

I'm a little south of Raleigh so our temps are normally a little bit warmer, but that isn't always the case. Do you think he could have gotten too cold? What should I do about tonight and tomorrow night? I have another house that I can make into a coop that is off the ground a bit, where the one they're sleeping in now sits directly on the ground. Should I move them into the raised one at night? Will they sleep in it or freak out?

 

[speckledhen]

My hens always peck on my roosters' combs and wattles. Not sure what the attraction is-not a wound because the dang girls caused Dutch's comb tip to be bloodied. It's always a problem here. My roosters are too patient with the little hussies.

 

[MissPrissy]

It may be a touch of frost bite.

Make sure the night quarters are ventilated and kept dry. Cold dry air helps prevent frostbite. Put some vaseline on his comb to help insulate him.

 

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
Maybe this is the case because I just started actually shutting their coop up at night, due to the cold. Since their coop is inside a wire pen, when it was warm I always just secured the door to the pen but left their coop open. In the morning they were able to come out of the coop into the wire pen. Last night I secured the pen door, as always, but I also shut the door to the coop, which means they were locked in there together until I let them out at 7:45. My roo acted a little stressed when I let him out this morning (don't think he liked being locked up tight like that) so maybe one of the girls, probably Betty, was pecking on him. Makes sense.

 

[EightIsEnough]

HI, My cockrels (3) all have black spots on their combs, like little grease marks or drops. I live in FL so ruling out frost bite since they have had them for some time, around the time the pullets started laying. Not sure what causing the spots. Agression or fighting? Answers are appreciated.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

If the temp gets down below freezing, even the group can not help a roosters comb from getting frostbite. If you can, put a light source in the kennel so the temp does not get below freezing. Unfortunatelly roosters do have a hole and that is frostbite on the comb. Hope this helps.

 

[ivan3]

EightIsEnough wrote:
HI, My cockrels (3) all have black spots on their combs, like little grease marks or drops. I live in FL so ruling out frost bite since they have had them for some time, around the time the pullets started laying. Not sure what causing the spots. Agression or fighting? Answers are appreciated.

Just wanted to say, welcome! And I'd guess you'd be right about your cockerels beginning to test the heft of their mojo on one another. If they continue to spar you might want to seperate them.

As to frostbite: Usually, with single comb roos the first areas that exhibit cold injury are the tips. Sometimes it is possible to catch it early (tips take on a waxy yellow translucent quality). Once it begins it is necessary to prevent continued exposure to freezing temps. Though they can take the cold pretty well, it is necessary to provide areas in run where there is protection from the wind (convective cooling can cause rapid freezing of tissue). Also high humidities in the coop can cause frostbite to appear quickly. Vaseline and other ungents (in very cold conditions) actually accelerate injury.​