Frost Bite

I think Poncho and Lefty have frost bite on their combs and wattles.  Just a little, on the edges.  The very tips of their combs have turned black and crusty.  

I knew this was a danger since they both have such big combs.  The hens, whose combs are smaller, don't seem to have any frostbite.  I'm not sure if the frost bite on the roosters is painful, but they don't act any different than usual.  

The thirty little chicks that live in the barn survived the cold weather just fine under their heat lamp.  When it's cold they get closer to the warm bulb.  I've been keeping a big piece of pink foam insulation board over the lid during the cold weather.  It blocks a lot of the light they would get through the barn windows, but I think they would rather be warm even if it means their world is only illuminated by a eerie red glow.  

The brooder that Brandon built (he seemed to be quite motivated after I brought guinea keets to live in our bathroom!) has made raising little chicks much easier than when I raised them in a box in the house.  The brooder is deep enough that the chicks have room to flutter about.  Chicks make a lot of dust, so I'm glad they are out of the house, even though I don't get to spend as much time with them.  

Brandon used plywood he salvaged from the trash in the art building at the university where he works, so our brooder used to be someone's painting.  I like the funny characters that decorate the walls.  

Silly guineas.  Of the five, only one of them has the white feathers on it's neck and belly.  It also has lighter colored wattles and feet.  I like that I can tell this one apart from the others.  I could give this one a name!  Any suggestions?