What do you do about a frostbit comb?

[the Old Rebel]

Y'all may think I'm crazy, but I think that I heard that if a roo's comb gets frostbitten, it affects his fertility later on. Might be worth checking out.

Anyway, I've had them get some frostbite when I least expected it. Most of the time the affected area is the points on the comb and many times they just fall off. I try to keep mine covered with Vet RX. Sometimes it helps. Sometimes it doesn't. Didn't know about the vaseline. From what I understand, you have to cover them every time it is going to be that cold. Of course, where I live, it gets that cold and then warms up. Maybe if you live where it stays cold, you could coat them every five days or so.

Maybe someone will see this who knows more than we do. I'd like to see what others think.

Hope y'all have a GREAT EVENING and a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

 

[jojo54]

I'm watching too.

 

[Pampered Hen]

Just bumbing thist post.

Oh yes, happy holidays to you all!

 

[77horses]

My family's RIR rooster, Marty, had frostbite problems last year. He lost most of his toes except for a couple, he lost a spur, and ALL the points on his comb fell off.

Poor guy! But what I've found to help is that the more insulated the coop is, the better. Our other rooster, splash Cochin rooster named Foghorn, in our garage, which is more insulated than the coop that Marty is in, and his comb didn't get frostbite at all last winter.

Here are some pictures (before and after) of Marty last winter:


Before:

After:

Luckily it didn't get infected or anything.

It just turned black and hard and eventually fell off. The points never grew back after that, but he still struts around like he's the biggest rooster in the world! LOL

I don't have any recent pictures of him now though.
I've also heard that vaseline helps a little if you put it on BEFORE the frostbite occurs.

 

[the Old Rebel]

Just giving this thread a bump to see if someone who knows more on this will pick up on it.

Hope everyone has WONDERFUL holidays!!

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
You may or may not be crazy I wouldn't know about that but a frostbitten comb does affect a male's fertility. Frostbite is very painful & because of the pain mating is the last thing on their mind.
Once frostbitten the comb will not return to normal. Eventually the frostbitten portion of the comb will fall off but occasionally infection may occur. The best thing to do in the case of frostbite is to dub at least the affected portion of the comb.
I have limited faith in Vaseline's ability to prevent frostbite.

 

[77horses]

Maybe you should try looking up things about curing/preventing frostbite in general on Google or something. Maybe if something works for humans, it could work for chickens, too?

 

[parmesan]

thank you. We've since insulated the outside of the coop with hay bales and 1" foam insulating board and sealed it up so they don't eat it. It seems like they have been laying more consistantly since then, too.
I just bought a seedling warming mat that I was going to put the waterer on. It worries me though to put it under a waterer where the ckns splash it around...and they'd probably scratch it and try to eat that too! I made that tin with the light bulb inside as well and it gets really hot. I'm sure it would do the job, but I'm really paranoid about fire in there. So I guess paying the big bucks is the only way to really be safe- or to have piece of mind?