WI frostbite on rooster-help please!

[Egghead_Jr]

That is a bad frost. Tips of tines turn black and fall off, that's typical in the cold north. More than that and you need more ventilation. I use a black rubber bowl for water and that dubs the wattles. Wattles dip in water when they drink then freeze. Not much I can do about that other than use heated bucket with nipples for water. It happens even with heated bowls or fountains, nipple system is the only thing that would stop it. My cockerels are self dubbed by the time they are cocks. Really bad frost can split open, infect and kill the bird and why the old timers up north would dub the cockerels pre winter. Cut tines and portion of wattles off to protect the cockerels.

 

[harrinad]

Hello, I am new to this site and this is my first post so I hope it's in the right spot but I could really use some advice. I have a Welsummer pullet that recently decided to go swimming in her water tub in 15° weather. I saw her in there and carried her into the house where I put her in a bowl of room temperature water. She was not doing well holding her head against her back with her eyes closed and not responding to touch. After about 30 minutes I took her out and dried her off, she has since been in the guest bath tub on a towel.

That was two days ago and now she is doing much better eating and drinking like normal. She still has trouble walking and seems to have issues with balance. She uses her wings against the ground to keep upright and her wings don't seem strong. When she climbs on me it doesn't feel like her toes are gripping me more like just standing on me. I can tell that some of her toes are turning black and I'm wondering if I should let Herbie or put her down. I don't know how to tell if frostbite is mild or severe and even if I could I'm not sure what to do with either case.

 

[Flocklover4]

OUCH! It looks nasty but he's going to be fine, especially if he's eating and drinking. Just give him some extra good treats - like scrambled eggs - and he'll be fine. It does take a while to heal, though, so be prepared for that. You only have one rooster, right? Keeping him separated is fine as long as he's not going back into a flock with another rooster. I find after about 3-4 days they'll fight if they've been apart.

Best of luck to your guy! Winter is so unkind to those big combs and wattles!

Yes! On the 3-4 days and fights, which is heartbreaking, frustrating, defeating to say! But I have four roos together and three in a bachelor pad. Had to bring in who was my current head roo (they are young and finding their way, hatched April and May of this year) d/t a limping injury. He was literally only in 5 nights and now I can’t have him out with the others. He is still limping a bit, why/how/reason I know and does have unfortunate frostbite of his comb d/t refusing to drink from a nipple and wearing his water whenever he drinks. Breaks my heart as he’s a sweet boy and I tried to prevent it but failed only with him. Likely r/t his comb and waddle size….i can’t have him in the coop/flock free as they once were and am not sure what to do!

 

[Eggcessive]

Yes! On the 3-4 days and fights, which is heartbreaking, frustrating, defeating to say! But I have four roos together and three in a bachelor pad. Had to bring in who was my current head roo (they are young and finding their way, hatched April and May of this year) d/t a limping injury. He was literally only in 5 nights and now I can’t have him out with the others. He is still limping a bit, why/how/reason I know and does have unfortunate frostbite of his comb d/t refusing to drink from a nipple and wearing his water whenever he drinks. Breaks my heart as he’s a sweet boy and I tried to prevent it but failed only with him. Likely r/t his comb and waddle size….i can’t have him in the coop/flock free as they once were and am not sure what to do!

Welcome to BYC. The trouble with hatching chickens is that you end up with 50% roosters. You have to have a plan on what to do with them. Back when I was hatching, I found a friend who wanted the extra cockerels for butchering. But he would take his time to pick them up, and you just can’t have a bunch of young maturing cockerels creating havoc in a chicken coop. I have kept 3 breeders together in a bachelor coop, but they bullied the third guy, and he wasn’t allowed off the roost or to eat. I had to decide who to keep and who to rehome. Frostbite on large combs is just a fact of life when temps are in the teens or below. Peacombs do not usually suffer that fate. I hope that your cockerel recovers.