Chicken has super swollen frozen feet

[JacinLarkwell]

Keep an eye on them, and smell occasionally. I know it sounds weird, but if they get an infection in the feet, you usually will smell something... wrong. Not sure how else to describe it, it just smells wrong for chicken feet.

I've started noticing the best way for my birds with frozen feet is to warn gradually (either by a fire or where they can get close to a lamp.

Don't touch, keep them clean as best as you can. They will likely lose toes, but toes are okay. It's if the whole foot dies that there will be problems.

 

[NatureGirl74]

Sorry, I forgot to post a picture earlier. I cleaned her feet again this morning. I'm noticing quite a few blisters forming. I can see a line on the toes, so I think she will probably lose them. She can still move them though. She grabbed my hand this morning. Her feet are still swollen and are definitely really painful.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Sorry, I forgot to post a picture earlier. I cleaned her feet again this morning. I'm noticing quite a few blisters forming. I can see a line on the toes, so I think she will probably lose them. She can still move them though. She grabbed my hand this morning. Her feet are still swollen and are definitely really painful.
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Keep them clean without aggravating them and continue to let them thaw. Depending on how long and solid they were frozen, she may keep all of her toes

 

[NatureGirl74]

I cleaned her feet again this morning. I noticed that some of the blisters popped. I didn't pop it though. I haven't really touched her feet at all. I think her feet look pretty good still. She's walking around fine. I smelled her feet too and couldn't smell anything.

Also, does anyone know of a sturdy, long-lasting, heated waterer that's not too expensive. The heated waterer I have just died. I've had to replace it every winter, but this year it lasted just longer than the warranty would cover, so I would like to find a new brand all together. This is the one I've been getting.

I need one that will last and that I can get at Tractor Supply or Orschelns.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Continue to keep an eye on the feet. I had a pullet that's been monitored for a long time (it's gotta be at least 2 weeks at this point). Was fine two days ago with walking, badly limping and not wanting to walk at all yesterday. Her foot had ended up dying half way up her leg.

It can take some time before the full damage is noticeable. Blisters will pop on their own occasionally, just make sure that you don't pop any yourself.


We use a heated stand and just put a water bowl on the stand personally

 

[Eggcessive]

I use these in my coop year round, and they only come on to heat when the temperature gets below 35F. The water stays cold. You can also make a heated water stand out of light bulb, but I haven’t used one since the lightbulbs were changed to fluorescent. I once had a heated water stand that overheated and the water got hot in the chicken waterer. Here is a video of a DIY heated waterer:

Another method for providing water in freezing westher is to use gallon black rubber bowls from the feed store, and bring a milk jug of fresh waterout once or twice a day as needed. I empty those in the evening, but you can also empty them when frozen.

 

[NatureGirl74]

Those are all good ideas, and very helpful. I probably can't make one because we only have LED lights, but I will definitely keep that in mind. The temp this week is supposed to be in the low 40s.

 

[NatureGirl74]

It's been awhile since I gave an update. I moved her outside last week, because the temp was up in the 40s everyday. She's still walking. She can bend her toes. I really don't like the way they look on the bottom though. I also don't like how her legs are starting to look. I've never had a bird with frostbite on the feet though, so I don't know if it's bad not. Her left leg is swollen and I can't tell if the scales are separated or if some of them fell off. The bottom of her feet look a little weird too. Mom and dad said it smelled bad, but I still can't smell since getting COVID.

 

[Eggcessive]

Time will tell, but it does look dark on the tips of her toes. It can take a month or more before toes will come off. Hopefully, they will heal. If you have some Betadine, you could bring her in once a day for a soak just to her feet. Put some Betadine in the water. Then dry her well before she goes back out.

 

[NatureGirl74]

Time will tell, but it does look dark on the tips of her toes. It can take a month or more before toes will come off. Hopefully, they will heal. If you have some Betadine, you could bring her in once a day for a soak just to her feet. Put some Betadine in the water. Then dry her well before she goes back out.

I've been giving her Epsom salt baths.