Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens (34 page)
Read Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens Online
Authors: Gail Damerow
In winter, humidity in the air chills chickens by drawing their body heat to the surface to vaporize. Temperatures low enough to freeze moisture in the air also can cause frostbite to combs, wattles, and toes. Frostbite is therefore more likely to occur in damp housing than in dry housing.
At any given time, a combination of all four forms of heat transfer determine whether a bird gains or loses body heat. A well-feathered bird, for example, will be comfortable at a temperature of 50°F (10°C) if the air is still and the sun is shining, while the same bird will be miserable at 68°F (20°C), if it’s out in the wind and rain.
A hot chicken tries to stay cool by holding its wings away from its body and panting.
Preventing frostbite involves a combination of management measures. To prevent frostbite:
Reduce humidity by improving ventilation and removing damp patches of litter around doorways and waterers.
Rake or pitchfork litter regularly — loose litter is dryer and is a better insulator than compact litter.
Eliminate drafts by filling cracks and crevices in walls.
Install perches in the least drafty part of the housing.
Use perches that are wide enough (at least 2 by 2 inches [5 by 5 cm]) to allow birds to cover their toes with breast feathers at night.
If the ceiling is not within 2 feet (0.6 m) of perches to keep body heat close to the birds, install a heat lamp over the roost and plug it into a thermostat set to turn on the heat when the temperature drops below 35°F (2°C). Enclose the lamp in a sturdy wire guard so it can’t be damaged in the event of a collision with an airborne chicken. In a small coop, a few well-placed electric lightbulbs should supply sufficient heat.
Feed a small amount of scratch in the morning to kindle body warmth until birds are warmed by radiant heat from the sun.
During cold days stimulate appetites with a little mash moistened with warm milk or water.
Increase interest in eating by feeding often or by frequently stirring rations.
Feed a little scratch at nightfall to increase body warmth during nighttime perching.
Coat combs and wattles with petroleum jelly as insulation against frozen moisture in the air.
FROSTBITTEN COMBS AND WATTLES |
Frozen combs and wattles look pale. If you discover the condition while the part is still frozen, apply a damp, warm cloth (105°F [40.5°C]) to the frozen part for 15 minutes or until it thaws. |
Frozen combs and wattles discovered after they have thawed are red, hot, swollen, and painful. The bird doesn’t want to move or eat. If the part has thawed, warming is not necessary. Gently coat the part with Neosporin, and isolate the bird. After the swelling goes down, the part may peel, itch, turn scabby, develop pus, and eventually fall off. |
Seriously frozen combs or wattles shrivel and eventually die back. If a part turns black, the tissue has died and gangrene has set in — the comb or wattle must be surgically removed to avoid septicemia. |