What's your "rule" for greasing combs?

[annmarie]

I know that many of us use vaseline or bag balm on our chickens combs to prevent frostbite when it gets "really cold" at night. We must all have some rule we've made up in our heads of what "really cold" is. I'm constantly amending this rule in my own head, but typically I grease them when the forecast is somewhere between 20-25 degrees and under, and I've never had to deal with frostbite.
What's your rule? And do you grease them every night if you're going through a cold streak, or do you have the belief that the vaseline or bag balm will last more than one night?

 

[spook]

My heavens, I have never ever heard of this! You have got to be kidding right? Doesn't the vasiline get just as cold?

 

[Buster]

No, I've heard it works and was getting ready to ask what a good temp was myself. I am thinking though that it probably has a lot to do with your relative humidity plus the cold. I imagine that if the humidity is fairly high, they are more susceptible to frostbite, but that's just me thinking out loud.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

It works. I usually go by my ears... If my ears get real cold, then I know its time to grease up the flocks combs and such. It may be weird, but I aint never had a problem with it yet!

 

[Opa]

I'm with you Cowboy. I've got ears that make me look like 55 Chevy with the doors open. When those flaps start tingling it's time to grease the combs. I don't like the look of dubbed roosters so I guess that keeping Frost Prevention on is just one more thing to hate about winter.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Unless I was raising exhibition poultry, I'd dub them were I you.

Much easier than having to grease up combs everyday.

JMO

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

do you grease their little dangly chin things too?

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

and what does 'dub' mean?

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Info for the removal of comb & wattles (i.e. dubbing) for frostbite prevention can be found here .

There is also a great article in the latest Backyard Poultry magazine on dubbing.

 

[Buster]

Quote:
In my opinion that would wreck the whole appearance of my birds. I'm only worried about my roos anyway- I've never had a problem with my hens. That only leaves 3 really to worry about out of all of them (6 roos) and I'd much rather do that than dub.

JMO