Wintering the Chickens

The Chickens have faired ok till this week. I have been worried about them all winter. I was hoping that the coop we built this summer would be warm enough to winter them in. But for the last week we have had single digit temps and below zero wind shield. Yesterday I went out to water and check on them and Isis now has a frost bit comb. I feel so bad. I wish I could do something for her. But from my research and the people I ask tell me it will fall off with time. I just feel like it is probably painful right now. I just don't know what to do. Some people say put Vaseline on it. I think I might try that tonight. Hope the rest of her comb is ok. My Chicken health handbook said I should isolate her. I'm not sure that is a great idea. And put Neosporine on her comb. When John gets home tonight I will do that. He has to help me because our big rooster, Titan, hates me. He attacks me any chance he gets. Hope she is ok. She really doesn't act like it bothers her. O' Yeah. went to the Feed store I get my straw at. Its called Main Street Trader. The guy who owns it or runs it.. Has chickens so I asked him.

Disclaimer:

Ahead is a conversation with a meat eater. Do not take seriously what he says and no one will be hurt... lol

He said it would just fall off with time. Not to worry about it.
Then he said
"If it gets to bad to "Shhhhhhhttttt... Off with her head, and turn her into stew"....
I'm like "I don't eat meat" nicely, kinda laughing... cough cough gag... :)
and he said
"Well chicken is hardly a meat"
and I said
"Well I don't know about that" so then he asked "
so you don't eat any meat"
and I responded with "Nope"
and he said "what about Egg & dairy and that kinda thing"
and I said "Nope" so hes like "So your a totally vegan" and I was like yep.
He was really nice through the who conversation. So that was good. But after a came home and told John. Johns said I should have said
"doesn't look like any vegetable I've ever seen"
"Wonder what tree they come from I could make a fortunate"
and last " Does that make the chickens egg a seed" "Maybe I should plant one to see"

lol... so we both had a good laugh. I wish John would have been with me. He probably wouldn't have said it anyways .. But It would have been really funny if he would have.

The rest of the chickens; though not happy with the snow seem to be fairing ok. Everyone has been staying inside the coop because it coops snowing under the roofed in enclosure. I keep putting new straw out for it to only be covered once more by snow. I am thinking about hanging a light up in the coop so that I can keep the door closed all day so it will keep them warmer when it is snowing or below 10F. This has been a very very cold week. Not normally for us. We normally stick to around the 20F's. I think this summer I am going to insulate their coop. So next winter it should get warmer. I really wish I would have thought of it this summer. Hopefully it will start getting warmer. Bit for the next week or so it is supposed to stay pretty cold. :(

Update: Got the Antibiotic put on Isis's comb. Its not looking any better today. But there isn't any open spots. She just cooed and let me put on the meds. she didn't act like it bothered her any. Maybe she knew I was trying to help. She didn't really want John to touch her though. But what I really didn't think about was how the straw was going to stick to her comb after the meds were on. Oops. So I bet I know why they want her isolated. Ivy was nice enough to easily pick the straw bits off. We put up another perch inside the coop for them to sleep on. I noticed lastnight that they have grown so much that one night perch wasn't enough. I also pu some straw bats going up the sides of the coop walls on the inside to insulate better. I hope this helps them stay warmer. Going to send John out to check on Isis later. Make sure noone is picking at her comb.