I hatched out a bunch of chicks last summer and would you know it, half of them were roosters! I got way too attached to them to chop 'em and I am still waiting for a loving home for them to go to. Right now, it is freezing cold outside, and I have 4 of the roosters in an outside coop. It's really not that cold in there even tho I don't have a light on, and I heard that chickens can stand cold, but not drafts. Well anyway, the problem is, the bottoms of their wattles are turning dark blue! Is this frostbite? Will it spread?
(I make sure to water them with warm water becuase their wattles always dip into it when they drink.)
Help-please-fast!

My sister has a flock that lives in Montana where it was recently 40 below- the roosters that would not go in were severely frostbitten and since have lost thier combs and wattles. Are you telling me that these black charred looking sad things will eventually grow back again and the birds will be "happy looking" again? My sister is distressed for her roosters and any info would be appreciated. Will the skin continue to rot and fall off? This is way beyond vaseline! Any words would be appreciated.

I'd like to know, too, if the points on the roosters' combs grow back. A few of mine have some frostbite after making it through a severe cold snap while I was on vacation and couldn't put them up...the fellow that was looking after them put them up the next night, but a bit too late.

Blue wattles suggests the birds is cold. Turning white, then progressing to black as time passes is frostbite. The best and most humane treatment is to cut off the affected parts so the bird can recover quickly and resume a normal life. They do not grow back. Chickens require protection from the elements or the frostbite can claim the feet in extreme circumstances. Good wooden roosts in a protected area are the best protection for the feet.

John

I have had roosters in the past get frost bite on their combs first it turns white the black then after a few days the damaged area of the combs falls off. I have never seen the parts that fall off grow back again. My roosters went on as if nothing ever happened and they were very fertile after. I now play it safe though and keep a heat light in the coop and so far this winter no frost bite.

Dorcey

I keep reading how they can stand cold-please cold as in how cold- also my rooster loves to come in the house-but I have never figured out how to housebreak this guy!!! any help with that would be great. He just stands at the door and looks in and crows' I know he should not go from house temp to outside temp which is about 40f in the day and 25 to 30 at night

My roosters got frostbite whenit was only 35 degrres, it was very humid, now I keep them with heat lamps and use udder frost protection cream on their comb points.

how cold can a pekin duck withstand? it has been so cold in st. louis that he has went from the living room where he slept on a towel as long as i stayed close on the couch. When he would wake up he would pinch me [with his beak] until i woke up. took about 1 sec. it hurt. That morning he started bossing the dogs and cats around not nicely, and bit my 10 yr, old very hard on her cheek. then he went to a pen in the kitchen. very, very messy and smelly. now he is in the basement in his pen. ive put him outside a couple of times when it was sunny but the temp. has only reached 23* tops. he won't stay in his little coop but sits in the snow. i'm worried about his feet.