It is really cold. This morning it was 10 degrees. We thought the chickens were coping well, but today I noticed some serious frostbite on our rooster.
Parts of his comb and wattle turned grayish black. The other rooster, the less dominant one didn’t have any symptoms. He seems to stay in the coop more which could be why. The hens have some mild symptoms. To remedy the situation we closed up the coop. They will have to stay inside for the next week or so as we experience very harsh weather and low temperatures. We also rigged a 60 watt light bulb on a timer to run from dusk until dawn. We own a heat lamp from when the chickens were chicks, but the thought of that running all night in the barn made me nervous.
We are still not sure how to treat the frostbite. The internet is filled with conflicting advice. Some say use petroleum jelly or neosporin on the comb and wattle, but some say that it doesn’t work. Some say the frosted area needs to be docked, but that sounds extreme. Others say leave it alone and it will eventually scab and fall off. We are hoping their improved, warmer coop keeps them from any more damage. We also gave them some antibiotic to ward off infection.
Does anyone have any advice?
