Genetic advantage of single over pea comb

[fluffycrow]

She's a little over 3, so I figure as she's grown she's adapted. My WTB has a modified pea and she doesn't seem bothered at all, but she is a small bird (4lbs ish)

I know for a fact that the two females I have are over a year, maybe more, and they have lived in my area (not my property) all their lives. The person I got them from gets his stock from Turkey as well. But I am glad yours do well

 

[Red Mangrove]

True. However, when one has a lot of anecdotal evidence from people who keep chickens that goes against a study which by it's very nature has to set a limited number of parameters one is wise to study the study conditions rather than assume the behaviour reported covers all keepinng conditions.
Some studies are better than others, but when it comes to behaviour, genetics can't and don't take into account changes in environment. Many of these studies are carried out by students in a very limited time frame as part of a wider reaching degree profile.

Look up the Replication Crisis. The results of the majority of studies out there cannot be replicated-

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39054778
>Science is facing a "reproducibility crisis" where more than two-thirds of researchers have tried and failed to reproduce another scientist's experiments, research suggests.
>"It's worrying because replication is supposed to be a hallmark of scientific integrity"

https://www.wilsonquarterly.com/stories/sciences-under-discussed-problem-with-confirmation-bias/
>Research scientists are under pressure to get published in the most prominent journals possible, and their chances increase considerably if they find positive (thus “impactful”) results. For journals, the appeal is clear, writes Philip Ball for Nautilus: they’ll make a bigger splash if they discover some new truth, rather than if they simply refuted old findings. The reality is that science rarely produces data so appealing.
> The quest for publication has led some scientists to manipulate data, analysis, and even their original hypotheses. In 2014, John Ioannidis, a Stanford professor conducting researching on research (or ‘meta-research’), found that across the scientific field, “many new proposed associations and/or effects are false or grossly exaggerated.” Ioannidis, who estimates that 85 percent of research resources are wasted, claims that the frequency of positive results well exceeds how often one should expect to find them

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Look up the Replication Crisis. The results of the majority of studies out there cannot be replicated-

We often pretend that scientists are neutral truth robots. But they’re just as human as anyone else and can often be looking out for Number 1. I’m not anti-science, just anti the notion that scientists are above suspicion.

 

[wisecane]

In general, though of course not always, single combs go along with lighter body types, which do better in the heat. I have noticed that my single comb birds do much better in the triple digits than the ones with either pea or rose combs. My Wyandottes don’t do well at all, and the Easter Eggers aren’t much better. @fluffycrow how do your Brahmas do in your heat versus any single combed breeds you have?

Here in Florida, we have the triple digits and the humidity.

I currently own Calico Princesses, Sapphire Olive Eggers, a couple of EEs, 4 laced Wyandottes and a wad of Ameraucanas.

The single comb chickens clearly handle it better than the others. They are more active and require less lay around time during the day.

I'm lucky as my chicken yard/run/coops have 80% shade at any time of day and my design promotes a breezeway for all of it.

I'm still considering solar fans for daylight.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

True. However, when one has a lot of anecdotal evidence from people who keep chickens that goes against a study which by it's very nature has to set a limited number of parameters one is wise to study the study conditions rather than assume the behaviour reported covers all keepinng conditions.
Some studies are better than others, but when it comes to behaviour, genetics can't and don't take into account changes in environment. Many of these studies are carried out by students in a very limited time frame as part of a wider reaching degree profile.

That’s true…but I haven’t seen a lot of anecdotal evidence that disputes any of this.

 

[phasianidae]

The pea comb allele can be very beneficial in cold climates, especially in conjunction with other comb-reducing alleles and selection for non existent wattles. In extreme cold, the smaller the comb and wattles the better, as more heat is conserved and available for the extremities.

Several people mentioned that chickens should also be large to better handle the cold, I disagree with this. The size of the bird does not matter. What matters to keep the bird alive is the metabolic rate. Birds like House Sparrows survive harsh winters and are very small. You could breed cold-adapted Seramas if you wanted to.

As for heat tolerance, I think fat storage has a lot more to do with it than comb type or size. Cut open an Asiatic hen and see how much fat is under the skin compared to a Mediterranean hen. There are also plenty of examples of ground birds that thrive in extreme heat with no comb at all.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

Maybe a bit off-topic but check out these weird combs on some of the birds in my breeding project. I’m thinking about perusing them as a breed characteristic. I have a few birds in the mix with pea combs too and I’m not sure if I should have two lines…one with these blade combs and one with pea combs for people in colder climates. I really like these blade combs…especially on the hens.
Here’s a rooster:

And here’s a hen. On the hens they look a bit like shark fins:

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Maybe a bit off-topic but check out these weird combs on some of the birds in my breeding project. I’m thinking about perusing them as a breed characteristic. I have a few birds in the mix with pea combs too and I’m not sure if I should have two lines…one with these blade combs and one with pea combs for people in colder climates. I really like these blade combs…especially on the hens.
Here’s a rooster:
View attachment 3607733
And here’s a hen. On the hens they look a bit like shark fins:
View attachment 3607736

I have some phoenix hens that have those. I can't remember exactly if they all occured before or after winters with frostbite risks

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

I have some phoenix hens that have those. I can't remember exactly if they all occured before or after winters with frostbite risks

If you look at the edge of these you see they have lots of tiny teeth on those combs. Frostbite often leaves that edge smooth. I’m curious if this type of comb will be less prone to frostbite but I’m not hoping for a winter cold enough to find out. This past winter a few of my roosters lost the tips of some points but these birds in the photos were all quite young then with almost no combs…maybe even in the brooders when that cold spell hit.

 

[RobG7aChattTN]

If you look at the edge of these you see they have lots of tiny teeth on those combs. Frostbite often leaves that edge smooth. I’m curious if this type of comb will be less prone to frostbite but I’m not hoping for a winter cold enough to find out. This past winter a few of my roosters lost the tips of some points but these birds in the photos were all quite young then with almost no combs…maybe even in the brooders when that cold spell hit.

Here’s a few hens from the previous generation (or maybe the generation before that). They had much bigger combs (which might mean they

laid more eggs too.