Frostbite in Winter with Chickens

In the winter months, keeping chickens healthy becomes a priority. While chickens are resilient, extreme cold can lead to frostbite, a serious threat during the winter.

Caring for chickens during harsh winter months is no easy task. As temperatures drop, the risk of frostbite increases, especially for the delicate combs and wattles.

Many chicken keepers turn to Vaseline as a quick fix for frostbite, believing it will soothe and protect their comb and wattles. However, this common myth can do more harm than good.

Understanding Frostbite in Chickens

Frostbite happens when body tissues freeze, damaging skin and underlying tissues. In chickens, the combs, wattles, and feet bear the brunt. These areas are vascularized, meaning they are rich with blood vessels, making them more susceptible to freezing in low temperatures.

Recognizing frostbite early is essential. Initially, affected areas may look pale or white and lose sensation. As it worsens, these tissues can turn black, indicating necrosis. In severe cases, frostbite may lead to the loss of toes or parts of the comb. For example, studies show that chickens with severe frostbite can lose up to 50% of their comb, which can affect their ability to regulate body temperature.

National Weather Service Wind Chill Temperature (WCT) index:

• Calculates wind speed at an average height of an adult human face, based on readings from national standard height of 33 feet, typical height of an anemometer.

• Is based on a human face model (emphasis added)

• Incorporates heat transfer theory based on heat loss from the body to it's surroundings, during cold and breezy/windy days.

Factors that can Contribute to Frostbite

• temperature

• wind chill factor

• exposure duration

• humidity/moisture

• high altitude

• diminished circulation

Chickens at Risk

In cold weather, chickens are able to conserve body heat by restricting blood-flow to their combs, wattles and feet, the very parts of the body that give off excess heat in warm weather. The result is a decrease in warmth and oxygen to those extremities, which puts them at risk for frostbite.

Recognizing Frostbite in Chickens

Early frostbite can be subtle. Keep a close eye for:

• Pale or gray skin on combs or wattles

• Swelling in the affected area

• Blisters filled with clear or milky fluid, which may not appear until 24-36 hours after exposure.

• Blackened tissue ( a sign of severe frostbite)

• Reluctance to walk if toes or feet are affected

Chickens with frostbite may also seem lethargic or isolate themselves. In severe cases, damaged tissue can slough off, leaving permanent scarring.

What to do if Frostbite Occurs

If you notice frostbite, act quickly but gently:

1. Move the chicken to a warmer area (not directly by a heater). Do not use a dangerous heat lamp inside the coop. If heat source is absolutely necessary, use a less hazardous form of heat such as an electric oil-filled heater. Only supply enough heat to raise the coop temperature a few degrees above freezing- the coop should not feel warm to you!

2. Do not rub or massage the frostbite area- this can worsen tissue damage.

3. Apply Chick' N Balm, an herbal healing balm, to the affected areas once thawed. Chick' N Balm helps soothe damaged tissue, reduce inflammation and support natural healing with its gentle essential oil and herbal base. Do not use Chick' N Balm to prevent frostbite.

4. Provide vitamins or electrolytes to the water to support recovery.

Prevention: Inside the Coop

• Limit moisture inside the coop. Most breeds tolerate cold extremely well, but freezing temperatures inside the coop in addition to moisture expedites frostbite on exposed tissues. Moisture does not cause frostbite, but it can hasten it in extremely cold temperatures. Frostbite is most likely to occur overnight in a cold, coop where damp litter and moisture from droppings. Droppings consist of 85% water, keep the coop clean. If the windows of the coop have condensation om them in the morning, the type of litter may need to be changed or the litter may need replacing.

• Do not cover windows or other drafty spaces with towels or blankets as they will retain moisture, expediting cold injury in a cold coop.

• Do not use straw inside the coop. Straw retains moisture and creates an unhealthy environment for chickens,

• Put a digital thermometer/hydrometer inside the coop to monitor humidity and temperature.

• Install droppings boards to eliminate the primary source of humidity inside the coop.

• Use Freshcoop. I use a thin layer of Freshcoop on the droppings boards to absorb any residual moisture from droppings after cleaning them each day.

• Keep feed and drinkers OUT of the coop. While controlling moisture from respiration and droppings is manageable, it is impossible to keep ahead of the moisture curve if waterers spill in the litter and if they're forced to source feed inside the coop; the more time spent in the coop, the more poop is left inside the coop. Chickens do not drink or eat at night; as long as the flock is given access to water in the run at daybreak, there is no need for water inside the coop.

• Keep litter dry and clean. I highly recommend the use of sand as litter inside the chicken coop because it evaporates moisture more rapidly than other litter and stays drier as a result. Sand also retains heat better than any other bedding and given its high thermal mass, keeps coop temperatures more stable than other materials such as pine shavings and straw.

• Do not use the deep litter method of chicken management unless you can implement it properly. Deep litter requires careful management, which includes stirring and monitoring for both temperature moisture content. The deep litter method implemented improperly is a serious health hazard to the flock.

• Provide flat, wide roosts for the birds to cover their feet with their bodies/feathers. 2"x4" boards are better than a round roost.

• Do not apply any moisturizing skincare to combs and wattles. Once temperatures are cold enough to cause frostbite, no product applied for the purpose of keeping the comb dry can prevent frostbite.

Prevention: Outside Shelter

• Provide outdoor shelter and windbreaks for protection when temperatures are severe and windchill reduces them even further. Chickens should have a protected outdoor space to avoid confinement in the coop.

• Cover the run walls with contractors plastic sheeting to provide the flock with a warmer run by keeping rain, wind and snow out during the day and to keep the coop warmer and draft-free at night. We purchase ours at Home Depot, it's the most economical price.

  The roll is 8.5 tall by 59 ft long.

• Use common sense. When temperatures are extreme and/or are accompanied by precipitation and/or wind, chickens would be better off by being contained to a covered run. Extreme cold in addition to wind/snow/rain puts chickens, even cold-hardy breeds at risk for frostbitten feet, combs and wattles.

  
  

The Vaseline Myth

Vaseline or petroleum jelly, is often recommended as a protective barrier against frostbite. Many believe that applying Vaseline to a chicken's comb can trap moisture and prevent windburn, thereby protecting it from frostbite. However, this approach is based on misconceptions about how frostbite occurs and how the skin responds to cold temperatures.

The reality is that Vaseline does not provide the necessary protection when it comes to frostbite because Vaseline is water-based, you are just adding more moisture to an area that needs to stay dry. While it may seem beneficial as a barrier, it can lead to a range of complications that jeopardize your chickens health.

Why Vaseline can be Harmful

Firstly, Vaseline does not create a breathable barrier. It traps heat and moisture against the skin, which can make the frostbite worse, rather than protect against it. When the skin is already compromised, adding Vaseline may lead to more inflammation and potential infection.

Altered Natural Defenses

Chickens have adapted over generations to withstand cold temperatures, using their combs and wattles for thermoregulation. Over-applying Vaseline can interfere with their natural defenses and disrupt the body's ability to regulate heat, making them more vulnerable to the cold.

Supplemental heat if needed:

• Oil Filled Electric Radiator Heater: These type of heaters are the safest you could use in your coop when night time temperatures get extremely cold. As a rule we do not heat the coop but when temperatures dip down to -20 C overnight, the safest heater in our opinion would be the oil filler heater. Why? Because chickens are dusty, regular heaters that have the heater coils inside are more dangerous for fire risks because of the dust that chickens generate because they are constantly replacing feathers. When heating your coop you do not want to temperature inside the coop to feel warm to you, only a couple degrees warmer is sufficient.

  
  

  
  

Keeping Your Chickens Thriving

Frostbite prevention is about balance- keeping your coop dry and clean. By managing humidity, maintaining clean droppings boards and providing proper roosts, you'll help your flock sail through winter safely.

Your chickens can handle the cold, but they need your help to handle the damp. With the right setup and care- and natural support products like Freshcoop and Chick' N Balm- you can keep combs rosy, wattles healthy and your flock thriving all winter long.