A common concern for chicken owners is our chickens and frostbite prevention. Frostbite on your chickens can be painful and lead to discoloration and even the loss of parts of your chicken’s comb and wattles. Frostbite can also affect their feet and legs, but the more tender areas of their wattles/comb tend to be the most likely to be affected.
Frostbite can be very painful for your chickens and can lead to several health issues and should be avoided if possible. Read on to learn more about what frostbite it, how to identify it, causes, and prevention.
What is frostbite?
Frostbite occurs when cold temperatures freeze layers of skin and underlying tissue. During the process of frostbite, liquid and moisture held within your chickens skin and tissues freeze over causing loss of blood supply and oxygen leading to the cells themselves dying.
There are two stages to frostbite.
01 The first stage is Frostnip. At this point the affected skin can recover just by being warmed back up and there is typically no lasting damage.
02 The second stage is more severe and includes discoloration as areas of the skin freezes leading to the skin cells themselves dying.
How does frostbite occur?
Frostbite occurs when parts of skin are exposed to cold conditions as well as moisture resulting in the freezing of skin tissue, both on the surface and below. In chickens’ this is most likely to happen with their wattles, combs, and feet but any area of skin that’s exposed could be affected.
Frostbite is often a result of moisture mixed with cold and wind. These conditions slow down blood circulation in areas such as combs which leads to them getting colder and eventually freezing.
Chickens are more likely to develop frostbite at night while they’re less active therefore getting less blood circulated and natural body warmth.
Frostbite can occur at temperatures below freezing, however, you’re more likely to experience issues with it at temperatures in the negatives (Fahrenheit).
Remember: The main danger of frostbite is below freezing temperatures + moisture.
Conditions that cause and worsen frostbite
- Wet conditions, moisture, humidity, damp bedding/substrate
- Long exposure to cold winds
- High altitudes (less oxygen)
- Direct contact with ice, frozen metals, extremely cold liquids
- Previous issues with frostbite or other injuries leaving an open wound
- Roosters and chicken breeds with larger combs and wattles are more susceptible
How to identify frostbite on chickens
Early warning signs – Most of the early signs of frostbite are internal so It can be difficult to tell with your chickens, but externally you might see some slight discoloration on the skin of their comb or wattles – may appear lighter, white, gray, or black spots on comb, wattles, or feet.
Later signs – as the frostnip progresses into frostbite, you may notice a hardening of the skin of your chicken’s comb or wattles. Usually combs and wattles are warm to the touch since they receive blood circulation, but as frostbite progresses and the skin tissues start to freeze, the circulation will be stopped, and the areas will become cold to the touch. Areas may also appear red, irritated, or swollen, and they may even develop blisters. Frostbite that has progressed to the point of killing skin and tissue cells will often show as purple or blackened.
Chickens’ behavior – You may notice your chicken acting sluggish, they might be huddled with other chickens making it harder to actually see the frostbite damage. Chickens will also tuck their legs up into their body or their head into their wings to stay warmer which would also make it harder to notice early signs of frostbite. But if you see your chickens doing any of these actions it means they’re cold so you might want to get them in their coop or somewhere warmer out of any cold and wind.
If your chicken has frostbite on their feet or legs you may notice them lying down, having a hard time standing, or limping.
Dangers / results of frostbite on chickens
- Changes in or loss of parts of comb & wattles – tissue will turn black and hard as the skin tissues die and may eventually fall off
- Skin discoloration
- Numbness/tingling sensation
- Increase cold sensitivity
- Increased risk of more frostbite
- Joint issues/stiffness
- Blisters
- Permanent damage to skin, muscle, bone
- Blood vessel breakage due to ice crystal formation and then thawing
- Gangrene
- Hypothermia
- Infections
- Tetanus (only humans)
- Decreased / zero egg production
Different ways to treat frostbite
- Get them dry – If your chickens got frostbite as a result of getting wet, then try to get them dry as soon as possible. Gently wrap them in a towel, dry them off, and get them to a dry place where they can’t get wet again.
- Slowly Restore Warmth – When your chicken has frostbite, your first reaction may be to get them to as warm a place as possible, but it’s best to get them warmed up slowly. Too drastic of a temperature difference can cause further damage and injury as well as other health complications. Take them to your garage or another place that doesn’t have artificial heat. Do not use direct heat from items such as heating pads, hair dryers, fireplaces, or radiators.
- Don’t let chickens walk on frostbitten feet – If your chickens feet get frostbitten, try to prevent your chicken from walking on them until they’re better. Keep them wrapped in a towel. You can also soak their feet in warm (not hot) water to gently raise their temperature.
- Use lukewarm water – You can soak a chicken’s frostbitten feet or gently dab their combs and wattles with a towel soaked in lukewarm water to help gently thaw them and restore circulation. Water that’s too warm will cause rapid thawing which can lead to damaged blood vessels.
- Bandage affected areas – If the frostbite is particularly bad, you may want to bandage it up to help protect it. Gently wrap sterile gauze around the affected areas.
- Keep separated – While you don’t have to keep your frostbitten chicken away from the others, it might be safer to do so. Chickens tend to peck at spots and things of different color, so they might end up picking at the comb or wattles of your frostbitten chicken. It’s best to keep them separated for a while as they recover.
- Protect your chickens from any further cold – Chickens who have gotten frostbite are more susceptible to frostbite. Make sure you keep them well protected from the elements while they recover.
- Do not rub on affected areas or pop blisters – In some severe cases your chickens may develop blisters on their extremities from frostbite. It’s important to not rub on or try to pop these. Doig so can lead to worse infection and is very painful for the chicken.
- Take to a vet if the case is severe – If the amount of tissue damage is severe and your chicken is showing other signs of illness such as lethargy, not eating, etc. then it may be better to take them to a vet for care. A vet will usually get the chicken warmed up, may apply medication etc.
- Give it time – healing from frost bite can take several weeks. Give your chickens at least 4 weeks in a protected environment, possibly more if the case was particularly severe.
Salves & Medicines
- Coconut Oil
- Petroleum Jelly
- Vaseline
How to prevent frostbite
Like most illnesses and injuries, prevention is much better than treatment. If possible, try the methods below to prevent your chickens from getting frostbitten in the first place – your chickens will be thankful for it.
- Limit the amount of time your chickens are outside in cold, wet, windy weather. Chickens and other poultry are often fine in below freezing and negative temperatures. However, you typically don’t want your chickens in below freezing temperatures mixed with wet conditions and high winds. If it’s cold, wet, and windy, don’t let your chickens stay outside for more than 30 minutes to limit the danger of frostbite.
- Keep your chickens active. While you can’t force your chickens to move around in cold weather, you can encourage them to move around some by throwing down scratch and snacks and letting them out to free-range for short periods of time (as long as the weather’s not too bad). Hanging treats and toys will also get them moving around more which will help them stay warm and their blood circulated.
- Keep water founts outside of coop. When it’s cold out, it might be tempting to keep your chickens’ waterer inside the coop where it can be warmer and hopefully not freeze, however, you want to avoid extra moisture in your coop as all costs. Too much moisture can lead to frostbite as well as respiratory issues in your chickens.
- Make protective gear for your chickens to wear. Wearing clothing won’t 100% protect your chickens from frostbite, but it can definitely help. If you live in severe cold climates and have chickens, especially roosters, with large combs or wattles, then you might want to consider making them little makeshift hats. This can be done by cutting a small face hole in an old sock and pulling it (gently) down over your chicken’s heads and necks. They won’t like it, but it should give some added protection if you can get them to actually wear it.
- Keep dry and sufficiently insulated. Many cases of frostbite are caused by damp conditions mixed with cold and wind. Keep your chickens’ areas dry by making sure their coop is weather tight and they have ample dry bedding. Insulate your chicken’s coop by putting in extra bedding and add wall coverings such as cardboard or other insulators. What is the Deep Litter Method & How to Use it in Your Chicken Coop
- Keep coops ventilated. Good ventilation is important in coops to let excess moisture evaporate as well as clear out ammonia.
- Provide wind protection. Wind during cold temps is one of the leading causes of frostbite (especially when mixed with damp conditions). To help protect your chickens put up plastic tarps around the outside of the coop and run to help keep out moisture and block wind. You don’t have to do this on all sides, but it’s a good idea to do it on the sides where wind usually comes from.
- Maintain a good diet & sufficient hydration. Making sure your chickens have plenty to eat in winter and are getting a well-balanced diet will naturally help them stay warmer, which will also help prevent frostbite. During winter your chickens will most likely eat more than they usually do, so make sure they constantly have access to their feed. Try to keep snacks at about 10% of their diet with the majority being formulated feed which contains the right balance of nutrients that your chickens need.
- Large, flat roost bars. When chickens sleep at night, they typically like to roost higher up on a roosting bar of some kind. It’s best to use wide flat bars so that your chickens can comfortably rest on the bar and crouch down which will help keep their feet warm. Some coops come with very small bars which aren’t as good for chickens since they don’t wrap their feet around bars like other birds do (cockatiels, parakeets etc).
- Keep an eye out for early signs. Early signs of frostbite in your chickens may include some slight discoloration of their combs or wattles. If you notice any lighter colors or purple on your chickens, go ahead and get them inside their coop or somewhere out of the cold and wind.
- Don’t bring your chickens inside your house. While I think it’s perfectly fine to bring your feathered friends inside your house on a normal day, if you’re bringing them inside due to the cold or possible frostbite, then this can actually be worse for their health. Going from an extreme cold temperature to the warm temps of most houses is too much of a temperature change which can lead to respiratory and other health issues. If you have a chicken with frostbite and you’re worried your coop isn’t warm enough, bring them into a shed or garage where the temperature different might not be too hard on them and let them slowly warm up. You can always wrap them in a towel which will help warm them up without being too warm.
Cold resistant chicken breeds
There are many different breeds of chickens available, but some are more adaptable to colder climates which also makes them less susceptible to frostbite. If you live in a cold climate, you may want to consider keeping chickens with these characteristics:
Small Comb Breeds – Chickens with pea, single, or rose-shaped combs tend to be less-susceptible to frostbite. Their combs are closer to their heads which means less heat is able to escape. (keep in mind roosters will typically still have larger combs)
Ex. Ameraucana, Barnvelder, Bielefelder, Brahma, Dominique, Faverolle, Niederrheiner, Plymouth Rock, Polish, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte
Extra Feathered Breeds – Some chickens have areas on their body with extra feathers on their heads, feet, or they might just be extra fluffy. These additional feathers can help keep them warmer and protected from cold.
EX. Ameracana, Brahma, Easter Eggers, Faverolle, Houdan, Orpington, Polish, Sultan, Wyandotte
Large Bodied Breeds – chicken breeds that naturally have larger bodies will also be better able to handle cold weather. Their bodies tend to be able to maintain heat better and chickens that are a little on the husky side, will do better due to extra fat stores keeping them warm.
Ex. Brahma, Orpington, Wyandotte
Extra Notes:
- Heat lamps in coops are NOT suggested as a method of preventing frostbite due to their fire hazard potential.
- Other injuries/illnesses that could be confused as frostbite:
- Bruising from being pecked can show on combs and wattles as small dark spots which could be confused as frostbite.
- Fowl pox can also show as blackened areas on a chickens comb of wattles.
- Bumblefoot may make a chicken limp or have a hard time standing.
