Rooster with frostbite

[Noraaaaa]

Hi! So my bantam Wyandotte rooster got frostbite over night from getting water on his waddles (he uses a 5 gallon heated water from tractor supply) then freezing.It’s pretty bad (I think… I’ve never had anyone get frostbite before). I think this because they are pretty puffed up. He doesn't mind me examining them, but I think they are a little uncomfortable. We put him and his 3 girls inside and sprayed some antiseptic stuff on his waddles.

*his comb is not frostbitten! It’s dried blood because he escaped his coop and went into my silkies coop. They got in a minor fight but he has no real injuries from that!*

*he is eating and drinking!*

*my coop is out of wind and he does not go outside when it’s cold because he is a show bird. I didn't want to get frostbite on him but I guess his waddles are just to big and fell in the water.*

I would like to know:

-when will his waddles be back to normal shape and size and color?
-how can we prevent this from happening in the future? (It’s 0-25 degrees here most of the time).
-how can I help his waddles get back to normal?
-how can I reduce the swelling?


I think the earlobe and bottom of his chin are larger because of the waddles. Am I correct?

 

[Egg Snatcher]

The purple part of the wattle will most likely fall off. With frostbite you don’t want to touch it, touching it will make it worse. With wattles his size there is not much you can do from preventing frostbite in the future unless you dub the wattles or had you birds in a heated building. (He is a very handsome boy)

@Eggcessive may know some more

 

[Eggcessive]

Poor fellow! That is pretty painful for a week or so, so watch that he is drinking well. Offer some mushy moistened chicken feed and a little scrambled egg. The blackened tissue will in fact become smaller once it heals. I have dealt with frostbitten wattles before and it is common when they get them wet in freezing weather, unfortunately. I would not handle or massage his wattles, and do not apply any sprays, ointments or creams while it is freezing or those can make it worse. Let us know how he recovers.

 

[Noraaaaa]

Poor fellow! That is pretty painful for a week or so, so watch that he is drinking well. Offer some mushy moistened chicken feed and a little scrambled egg. The blackened tissue will in fact become smaller once it heals. I have dealt with frostbitten wattles before and it is common when they get them wet in freezing weather, unfortunately. I would not handle or massage his wattles, and do not apply any sprays, ointments or creams while it is freezing or those can make it worse. Let us know how he recovers.

I have him in my heated garage. Should I apply ointment if it won’t freeze?

 

[NanaK]

how can we prevent this from happening in the future?

What a handsome boy!

Can you elevate the water a bit so when he leans in to get a drink his wattles don't fall into the water?

When a rooster leans low his wattles fall toward the tip of his beak. If he doesn't have to lean all the way over the wattles will lay closer to the body and have a better chance of staying dry.

**Be sure it is not too high so all birds can still get a drink. **

 

[tlcmurphy]

I have him in my heated garage. Should I apply ointment if it won’t freeze?

No, do not put anything on it.

 

[CombNWattles]

I use this heated nipple waterer with a lid on top so my birds can’t get their wattles wet. It works great and the lid keeps the water clean until they drink it all.

 

[Noraaaaa]

Thank you all for your replies! I have 3 more questions:

-when will the swelling go down?
-is this what is considered "major" frostbite?
-should I apply Vaseline to my other chickens to prevent water from staying on their waddles (I have never done this and have not had a problem in 5 years. My silkie rooster is bearded so I'm not worried about him. It would just be for my hens with larger waddles.)

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you all for your replies! I have 3 more questions:

-when will the swelling go down?

It will go down on its own. There is nothing you can do to hasten it.

-is this what is considered "major" frostbite?
-should I apply Vaseline to my other chickens to prevent water from staying on their waddles

No. Vaseline does nothing. There is no ointment or anything that prevents frostbite. Just make sure your coop is well ventilated. Moisture, condensation, is the problem. Don't keep water in the coop. Take it out at night.

(I have never done this and have not had a problem in 5 years. My silkie rooster is bearded so I'm not worried about him. It would just be for my hens with larger

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think all frostbite is "major" because it causes pain and results in amputation, but that's just my opinion.