Frostbitten Comb affects fertility?

chrismahon

chrismahon

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Left little Boris (Brown English Leghorn Bantam) out overnight when the temperature was borderline to bring him in. Result was a frostbitten comb. His back two points have lost, or will lose, 3mm off the ends. I know it is painful for him and I also know not to touch them until they have healed up completely because of potential blood loss.

But we spoke to an extremely experienced breeder today who said that a frostbitten comb makes cockerels sterile. What!!!!!! We spent 12 months finding a suitable replacement pullet breeding cockerel to breed with our 3 hens. Someone put our minds at rest please.
 
No, he will be fine. I had a boy that lost a couple of his points last winter he was certainly wasn't firing blanks though! :D
 
While I have no personal knowledge of this, I can see no logic in what you were told so I'd assume that he's OK.
 
Having thought about it overnight (a lot), it is possible that the very low temperatures that cause a frostbitten comb also lower the inner body temperature. That reduction in body temperature may cause an irreversable shutdown of the testicles, because of all the sperm being killed.
 
chrismahon said:
Having thought about it overnight (a lot), it is possible that the very low temperatures that cause a frostbitten comb also lower the inner body temperature. That reduction in body temperature may cause an irreversable shutdown of the testicles, because of all the sperm being killed.
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But the whole idea of extremities, is that the blood flow goes to the core of the bird to keep the main organs warm and the testicles are tucked well up inside the bird under the feathers surely. :-)19

Other birds live out in much lower temps than we have had, and they are still fertile. I can't go with this idea I'm afraid, but would be interested to hear what others have to say!
 
Poultry are a very practical bird...and unlike most mammals have their testicles tucked deep inside their body and protected! :D :-)17
 
Poultry are a very practical bird...and unlike most mammals have their testicles tucked deep inside their body and protected! :D :-)17
 
Ouch!!
At least chicken testicles are wrapped up nice and cosy inside which might help. I think for men it's too much heat that's the killer, is that right?
Minus 10.9 here last night, never been this cold. Brass monkey weather!
 
Thanks for all your replies. I will check his girls eggs again in three weeks but I feel bit happier now. Don't want to be giving Philcott duff eggs do we!
 
I have heard of this. I have read it in a book somewhere, although for the life of me I can't think which book it was or where.

Like Foxy I've had a cockerel that lost the outer tips and he wasn't firing blanks...

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chrismahon said:
Thanks for all your replies. I will check his girls eggs again in three weeks but I feel bit happier now. Don't want to be giving Philcott duff eggs do we!
Click to expand...
NO! But with chickens................ - we all know that the best laid plans will be foiled by them! :D
 
It hasn't really been that cold at all when we lived in France, and it was often -10 - -25°in winter and we still got chicks, it doesn't affect fertility at all - what I would suggest though is that you massage the comb with vaseline, the massaging helps to get the circulation going again, I had three cockerels last year when it got very cold, with bad frostbite, massaging every day worked and none of them lost their points even although they were black - when they go white that's when you have severe frostbite and risk losing the points
 
Just been given a tip by an 'old boy' when it comes to poultry - use goose grease on the combs - will stop them getting frost bite! I haven't tried it yet, but tempted on my Ancona boy!
 
Wasn't there a post recently about using grease and Vaseline on combs not actually helping but possibly making matters worse? or was I imagining this(wouldn'tbefirsttime)...
 
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