Mild frostbite?

[HB72]

Hi All,

This is our first winter having chickens in Golden CO, our flock is just ten months, one being a barred rock. We just had three days of - 8 to -10 weather here and on the last day of the cold snap the barred rock started showing signs of what I think is mild frostbite on her comb - small white areas on some of the tips. They all did great up to about 1/2 through that third day. We brought the whole group in the garage that afternoon for the night - some seemed to be getting stressed from the cold and they perked right up once we had them in the garage. (not a heated garage). (wondering if on that last day since it was the most blustery if we should have just keep them in the coop and not the run?) It seemed as though the barred rocks comb got better but tonight (2 days after the end of the cold snap) when i went to give them some treats before bed I noticed some whiter areas on the tips of her comb. As far as I can tell all their feet look good.

We have 6 chickens and a large coop, deep litter with shavings good ventilation up high and the run is large (10 x 20) with straw on the ground outside, three sides of the run and the top are covered in clear plastic tarps to stop the wind and snow. We feed a scratch and peck layer feed with 18% protein and give cracked corn and black soldier fly grubs for treats before bed to help keep them warm.

Our temperatures are back to normal Golden, CO 30's to 20's at night and 30's to 40's during the day.

She seems fine, eating, drinking and normally interacting. Is there anything I should be doing for her comb? Just keeping an eye? Ointment or infection prevention? We tried to do all the right things for this cold snap and are feeling like we missed something.

Love to hear your expert advice and thank you! Since it's our first winter we are doing a lot of overthinking and worrying and want to do the right thing for the girls!

 

[NatJ]

She seems fine, eating, drinking and normally interacting. Is there anything I should be doing for her comb? Just keeping an eye? Ointment or infection prevention?

Just keep an eye on it. Do not touch, rub, or put anything on it.

(No personal experience, just repeating the recommendation I have seen many times on this forum.)

 

[Wyorp Rock]

She seems fine, eating, drinking and normally interacting. Is there anything I should be doing for her comb? Just keeping an eye? Ointment or infection prevention? We tried to do all the right things for this cold snap and are feeling like we missed something.

Do you have photos?

Sounds like she's doing o.k. - she's eating/drinking/active.

Don't mess with the comb. No ointments, no oils, nothing. Leave frostbitten tissue alone. Usually tissue will dry up and round off on its own without any intervention.

Don't feel discouraged, you did what you could to provide wind blocking and protection. It can happen at those temperatures just due to exposure.

Even when temps are going to be in single digits and wind chill is -F I let mine choose where they want to stay - in the coop or run. Most go in/out all day long, going inside to hang out, then coming back out when the wind dies down. Even with wind protection, good ventilation, etc. etc. frostbite can happen.

 

[HB72]

Do you have photos?

Sounds like she's doing o.k. - she's eating/drinking/active.

Don't mess with the comb. No ointments, no oils, nothing. Leave frostbitten tissue alone. Usually tissue will dry up and round off on its own without any intervention.

Don't feel discouraged, you did what you could to provide wind blocking and protection. It can happen at those temperatures just due to exposure.

Even when temps are going to be in single digits and wind chill is -F I let mine choose where they want to stay - in the coop or run. Most go in/out all day long, going inside to hang out, then coming back out when the wind dies down. Even with wind protection, good ventilation, etc. etc. frostbite can happen.

Thank you, will snap some photos - and thank you for the words of encouragement!

 

[Stephine]

I have read many times to protect combs from frostbite by putting vaseline on them in cold weather. It doesn’t get super cold here, so I have never tried it…

 

[Eggcessive]

I have read many times to protect combs from frostbite by putting vaseline on them in cold weather. It doesn’t get super cold here, so I have never tried it…

Creams and ointments will also freeze, so that can increase the damage of frostbite. Most people learn to leave most frostbite alone until it heals.

 

[Stephine]

Creams and ointments will also freeze, so that can increase the damage of frostbite. Most people learn to leave most frostbite alone until it heals.

Seems to depend on how cold it gets. Here’s what Gail Damerow says about it:

Does coating combs with Vaseline work?​

“That depends on how low the temperature drops and for how long. Vaseline, or any other petroleum jelly, prevents the dissipation of heat from the coated comb and wattles. And the coating insulates the comb from moisture and thus from freezing.

“Also, Vaseline freezes at a slightly lower temperature than the cell fluid in a comb or wattles. It therefore protects these parts from freezing at temperatures hovering around 32°F. However, if the temperature goes lower, especially for a prolonged period, petroleum jelly will freeze and therefore fail to prevent frostbite,” she states.


Here‘s a link to the whole article on frostbite prevention and treatment:

https://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/2...he coating insulates the,hovering around 32°F.

 

[NatJ]

Seems to depend on how cold it gets. Here’s what Gail Damerow says about it:

Does coating combs with Vaseline work?​

“That depends on how low the temperature drops and for how long. Vaseline, or any other petroleum jelly, prevents the dissipation of heat from the coated comb and wattles. And the coating insulates the comb from moisture and thus from freezing.

“Also, Vaseline freezes at a slightly lower temperature than the cell fluid in a comb or wattles. It therefore protects these parts from freezing at temperatures hovering around 32°F. However, if the temperature goes lower, especially for a prolonged period, petroleum jelly will freeze and therefore fail to prevent frostbite,” she states.


Here‘s a link to the whole article on frostbite prevention and treatment:

https://blog.mcmurrayhatchery.com/2023/02/07/gail-damerow-discusses-how-to-treat-and-prevent-frostbite/#:~:text=And the coating insulates the,hovering around 32°F.

Correct me if I am reading it wrong, but I think that works out to:

Vaseline works fine in temperatures when it is not really needed anyway (right around 32F). It does not work in lower temperatures, so there is no point in trying it for really cold weather.

If that is the truth of the matter, Vaseline is a waste of effort in almost every situation.

 

[Stephine]

Correct me if I am reading it wrong, but I think that works out to:

Vaseline works fine in temperatures when it is not really needed anyway (right around 32F). It does not work in lower temperatures, so there is no point in trying it for really cold weather.

If that is the truth of the matter, Vaseline is a waste of effort in almost every situation.

If you want to be sharp about it, sure. I read it as it adds a layer of protection but won’t do miracles. if it is a lot of effort, yes, I probably wouldn’t bother either. But if you have one pretty tame roo, or a few easily handled hens with big combs, I would give it a try… More important is what she says in the rest of the article - especially how it’s impossible to keep them warm and dry enough in those little omlet coops…

 

[Eggcessive]

Not necessary to argue about the use of vaseline on combs. Lots of people use it. We all try to advise people here with our own experiences. Gail Damerow has a few books and is well known on educating people about chickens. She is not always right about everything. I like some of what she writes, but it is not necessary to use sprays, creams, or ointment on frostbite. Because they freeze themselves, it may cause more frostbite. I have treated some cases of average frostbite that resulted in rounded combs. It is up to the OP to read all our advice, and decide for themselves which opinion to follow.