Frostbite is a problem that northern chicken keepers have had to contend with for centuries. But recent weather patterns and climate change has dragged the American south into frigid conditions several times over the last few years, leaving people and their chickens unprepared for bitter cold. New chicken keepers may also struggle with frostbite, especially after having read over and over on the internet that “chickens are wearing down jackets, they’ll be fine!” or “as long as your coop is dry, they’ll be fine.” These statements are only partially true and very misleading.
Chickens do have down feathers, but that doesn’t stop frostbite. Some breeds, like Orpingtons and Cochins, have tons of down, but their combs, wattles, and feet (the most common sites of frostbite damage) are still exposed. And some breeds, like Leghorns and Andalusions, don’t have a lot of fluff, have large combs and wattles, and are at increased risk for both frostbite and hypothermia.
We discuss frostbite in the following podcast episodes, but you can also keep reading below for more information:
Episode 157 The Medical Side of Frostbite with Dr Rebecca Gounaris
Episode 110 Frostbite, Acclimation, and Coop Heat
Episode 107 Do’s and Don’ts of Winter Chicken Care
What is frostbite?
Frostbite is essentially when the cells in living tissue freeze and die from severe cold temperatures. There are degrees of frostbite, the least harmful stays on the skin surface, while the most severe can freeze so deeply that birds may lose combs and entire feet. The first areas to get frostbitten are usually combs and wattles. They’re essentially exposed skin that is rich with blood vessels.
How does it effect chickens? Is it painful or dangerous?
Frostbite is extremely painful to chickens. It can occur in conjunction with hypothermia, which can cause a chicken to freeze to death. Chickens can lose points on their comb, large chunks of their combs, toes, or even whole feet if frostbite is severe enough.
Besides losing body parts and experiencing a lot of pain, frostbite can lead to infection as tissue turns necrotic and sloughs off.
Ways to prevent it?
The only way to prevent frostbite in chickens is to make sure they are somewhere that the temps don’t fall below the mid 20s F. Vaseline won’t stop it. An insulated coop won’t stop it if temperatures and wind chills get low enough.
The way you approach frostbite prevention is also based on your chicken breeds, your geography, and your coop/run set up. Smaller coops usually only need one panel heater while bigger Amish-style coops or sheds may need 2 or 3 to make a difference. Hanging Sweeter Heaters are a great option for larger structures.
If there is no way to get power or a heat source into your coop, consider bringing your chickens inside, ideally into a garage or basement where the temperatures stay around 30F or above. Bringing chickens into your house is also fine if you’re prepared to take that step. Just make sure you don’t put them back outside until temperatures are above freezing.
The deep litter method also generates heat in a coop and may help ward off frostbite. Before relying on this however, we would put a thermometer in the coop and take regular readings to see how the coop handles low temps. Neither one of use this system so we are not authorities on it.
My chicken got frostbite. Now what?
One of the most useful things you can keep on hand for topical treatment of frostbite is aloe vera gel. There have been several studies in recent years that showed great success helping animals with frostbite heal faster. You can use the juice/gel straight from an aloe plant, or keep a bottle or tube of 100% aloe gel on hand. Silver cream works very well to help fight infection in damaged tissue as it turns necrotic and sloughs off.
Serious cases of frostbite should be seen by a veterinarian. They can prescribe pain medicine and other medications to help tissue and blood vessels heal and to help prevent infection. In very serious cases, amputation may be necessary.
A frostbitten chicken should be moved to somewhere above freezing so that they don’t sustain any more damage from cold. Allow the frostbitten skin to warm slowly, and be super gentle when applying topical treatment.
But, wait, I thought chickens would die if their coop is heated!
This is another statement that is only partially true. Chicken coops with radiant panel heaters, used correctly, will not get warm enough to cause acclimation issues. If your chickens are in a heated coop and the power goes out, the coop will not instantly go from warm to frigid. There is a cool down period.
We’ve searched over and over for any kind of scientific study that shows chickens going from warm to cold will die. And we’ve not been able to find even one study proving this. We have found the contrary; chickens taken abruptly from a very cool space into a very hot space can have problems adjusting. One early study found that chickens actually responded better to cycling temperatures than to constant exposure to either heat or cold.
It’s probably not a good idea to take a chicken from a 60 degree F area out into a 15 degree F area. That extreme cold could possibly make breathing tough. But taking a bird from 60 degrees out into 30 degrees should be fine. It’s not unusual for your chickens to experience a 30 degree temperature swing from day into night.
Our rule of thumb – if it’s too cold for you or for any other small animal to be outside for extended periods of time, then it’s probably too cold for your chickens.
More Resources: