What do comb shades mean

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

That’s hilarious You stole their nests!! How could you?!

I mean, How would you act if someone just uprooted your house casually walked off with it?

 

[Squawkers]

I mean, How would you act if someone just uprooted your house casually walked off with it?

I’d probably start screaming

 

[TOMTE]

This is a really neat thread. I don't think I have anything of substance to add, but the point that we as humans need to adjust our ways of thinking to match those of the animal(s) we study is super important.

Eg. training a dog is much more effective when you put yourself in the... shoes? Paw pads? Of a dog. How would a dog interpret this string of events, this command, etc? They're not able to get on the same level as humans when it comes to cognizance, but we are able to think like a dog if we study dog behavior.

When you put in the time and effort to study an animal you really begin to see how complex they are.

When I first put a mirror in with my pullets, they seemed to check themselves out pretty thoroughly. I could see the little gears turning in their brains as they pecked at the mirror, turned their heads this way and that, walked back and forth in front of it, never taking their eyes off it. Eventually they started peeking behind the mirror too, like they might find the chicken in the reflection back there. Then they would stand or lie in front of the mirror and just look at themselves and each other in the reflection. Once I saw one of them off to the side of the mirror so her reflection wasn't visible, looking from her sister to her sister's reflection in the mirror over and over again. I can't say for sure of course but it really did seem like she recognized the reflection as her sister instead of a stranger.

I see the same behavior in my cat when I play videos of birds for him on my laptop. He watches intently for a few minutes and then looks behind the screen for the birds, realizes they aren't real, and gets bored. Sometimes he'll continue watching only not as intently, other times he'll just walk away.

I see my chickens get frustrated when they can't get to something they want. I see them happy and content when they're dust bathing and singing together.

Changes in comb color might be hormone related but so are emotions so I don't see why both can't be true. Chickens blush when they're surprised, excited, or startled!

 

[Rebechenson75]

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?

There is a lot of blood flow to the comb. The ups and downs of blood pressure can increase and decrease the color.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

The comb and wattles are filled with blood circulating inside of them, which is used to cool the chicken off during the heat. It is basic knowledge that chickens that are heat hardy have large comb and wattles, while chickens that are cold hardy have small comb and wattles. But it is less common knowledge, I have noticed, as to the emotions that are displayed using the comb, wattles and face. Yes, even a chicken's face changes color depending on their emotion, and it is able to reach more vivid or pale emotion shades than the comb and wattles can.

When a chicken's face, comb and wattles turn pale, that means they are relaxed and calm. This is most noticeable when you are holding or around a friendly, affectionate chicken that enjoys your company. It can also be seen when they are simply enjoying their life foraging in the grass or dust-bathing in a dirt hollow.

When a chicken's face, comb and wattles turn bright red, that means they are stressed and something is bothering them (or, they might be hot－this can be seen when they are sunbathing). This is most noticeable when a sudden threat comes into the presence of a chicken, such as a cat walking nearby, or a vicious fight breaks out within the flock. When any of these things occur, look at your chickens' faces and notices how they suddenly flash from a pale or a normal medium red color to a bright, vivid shade.

An example of all of these mixed together is my chicken, Ruby. When I have her out for foraging time, her face is very pale while she peacefully forages. If my cat gets near, her face suddenly turns red, indicating she is stressed by the potential danger. If Ruby is sunbathing, her face will be pale because she is calm and happy, but with red spots that tell she is also hot.

 

[SwampPrincessChick]

(Note that a male chicken's emotions according to his face color will be harder to tell than a female's, since a male's high hormones make his face, comb and wattles almost always bright red no matter his emotion.)

 

[Amer]

Much more interesting to consider would be the head color of turkeys, which is definitely dependent on emotion. They turn pale when scared, blue and red when they feel sexy, red and white when angry, and I don't know what emotion caused it but once I saw one that was white with purple spots.
I believe these are some of the things these colors mean because turkeys use many other ways to communicate emotions, like body language and sounds.

But the only "mood ring" chicken I own most definitely has a heart or respiratory defect. Whenever he gets excited his comb turns purple.

 

[IsaChicks]

Much more interesting to consider would be the head color of turkeys, which is definitely dependent on emotion. They turn pale when scared, blue and red when they feel sexy, red and white when angry, and I don't know what emotion caused it but once I saw one that was white with purple spots.
I believe these are some of the things these colors mean because turkeys use many other ways to communicate emotions, like body language and sounds.

But the only "mood ring" chicken I own most definitely has a heart or respiratory defect. Whenever he gets excited his comb turns purple.

That is such an interesting fact about turkeys

 

[african chickens]

Is the purple on the back Normal

 

[Squawkers]

View attachment 3968518View attachment 3968516
Is the purple on the back Normal

Might be best if you start a thread! Purple can indicate lack of oxygen, but it doesn't really look bad to me.