What do comb shades mean

[IsaChicks]

I'm pondering a question since hen's combs change shades from pale to bright red throughout the day (or even within a minute) Are there reasons it might be pale or bright red? Like when a hen is relaxed her comb seems paler but when more alert it's bright red. Do color's indicate emotion and temperment or is it just natural?

 

[sourland]

Comb color change is natural, but can indicate emotion or health.

 

[aart]

Like when a hen is relaxed her comb seems paler but when more alert it's bright red. Do color's indicate emotion and temperment or is it just natural?

Blood flow.

 

[IsaChicks]

Blood flow.

sorry i should've been more specific i know it is caused by hormones and blood flow but im curious what emotions do the shades indicate?

 

[aart]

sorry i should've been more specific i know it is caused by hormones and blood flow but im curious what emotions do the shades indicate?

I'm not one to attribute 'emotions' to animals other than humans.
It would be a wild guess since animals can't talk to tell us.

 

[Mrs. K]

It can indicate heart problems - especially if it get close to a blue or purplish color. This often fluctuates through out the day, in the beginning.

A pale comb, almost a whitish grey with a bit of pink is usually the color of molting.

Swollen red, is a sign pullets are getting near laying - about 3 weeks. Or hens returning to lay in the spring, coming out of molt.

A bright red comb is attractive to a rooster. It often indicates that mating would be allowed. Some very good roosters won't bother pullets until this gets that bright red, whereas juvenile roosters, often will mate despite not being red and receptive.

I too, do not think of it as an emotion, but rather a hormonal level indicator.

Mrs K

 

[DemeterAD9]

A bright red comb is attractive to a rooster. It often indicates that mating would be allowed. Some very good roosters won't bother pullets until this gets that bright red, whereas juvenile roosters, often will mate despite not being red and receptive.

This right here is something I've recently observed in my young flock. My blue copper maran cockerel has only ever given attention to the one laying pullet but recently he has started dancing for a few other pullets who are starting to be receptive and squat for him. I also caught him in the nest box clucking away to a few girls who where checking it out. One such pullet just laid her first egg today! It really helps me figure out who I should be keeping tabs on just by observing how the cockerel behaves.

 

[thistlewick]

Y'all do know that animals do in fact experience emotion.

An amygdala, which all vertebrates have, create and handle emotions.

If you want to scoff and not believe me, here is an article from the National Institutes of Health that explains it.

 

[Logar]

Y'all do know that animals do in fact experience emotion.

An amygdala, which all vertebrates have, create and handle emotions.

If you want to scoff and not believe me, here is an article from the National Institutes of Health that explains it.

The way I was reading it was that you can't really tell how they are feeling. We can think they are feeling a certain way but we don't actually know what it means for each individual bird. Just like in humans each bird may express the same thing differently (ex. some people laugh when they are nervous, while others sweat, and others fidget).

I may be wrong though.

 

[thistlewick]

The way I was reading it was that you can't really tell how they are feeling. We can think they are feeling a certain way but we don't actually know what it means for each individual bird. Just like in humans each bird may express the same thing differently (ex. some people laugh when they are nervous, while others sweat, and others fidget).

I may be wrong though.

It could have been that, indeed.

I just wanted to make it abundantly clear that they do in fact have emotions, just in case it wasn't how you read it. Glad you mentioned that though!