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I was always taught it was to draw the attention of the predators to distract them, or help scare them off with the bright hackle feathers flaring out from the neck. I think the gold or silver hackles most males have look larger when flared than the more sedate colors of the females. I think...

It's biological. Hens are, as you said, drab colored, smooth, even coloring, designed for camouflage when setting on a nest. Their motto is "You can't see me". They don't need to be flashy to draw the attention of the males, either. It's the males that need to do the courting, not the hens...