What does the Comb do??

[AK BartGirl]

I know what the comb is on a chicken, I just don't know what it does. And do the different types do anything. I've heard of the pea comb, single comb, v-shaped, cushion, and others. Is there a signifacant difference? Does the difference matter? Thanks for the feed back!

 

[patandchickens]

I'm not exactly positive what you mean by "does", I mean it is not like it was installed by a team of engineers <g>, but the main two things I can offhand think of are:

1) first and foremost, it is a powerful signalling tool among chickens. Among males, it is an advertisement of General Manliness (because redness and, in wild populations likely to often be growing up under poor conditions, size also, tend to reflect the overall health and vigor of the individual). Studies have been done looking at how comb redness/type/size affect the likelihood that another roo will fight vs back down, and the likelihood that the comb owner will win if a fight occurs. And to females, male comb redness (and I *think* also size, although I am not sure I can produce a reference for this offhand) are also advertisements of the male's likely "fitness as a mate" and thus tends to influence how inclined a hen is to mate with him.

2) combs also act as radiators in hot weather, to help expedite heat loss and prevent overheating of the chicken's body. In principle very large combs are more effective at this than small ones, although I am not sure whether anyone has ever shown a *disadvantage* to (say) pea-combed chickens in surviving hot temperatures. (Although, I dunno, anyone else know about this?)

Pat

 

[Shifty Joe]

I've always heard that the combs and wattles main use is to control body temperature. I was told my someone who raised fighting roosters that if you cut off the wattles and combs (seems to be required for fighting cocks) that the chicken were very pron to over heating. I think roosters run a little hotter than hens, which contributes to the bigger combs\\wattles. Not sure about the pea combs kinds though.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Smaller combs and wattles are less likely to freeze in the winter, in severe climates.

Larger ones help keep chickens cooler. I've seen pictures of several different hens rehomed from large commercial operations, where they were in hotter conditions. Their combs were large and flopped over. After they were living in cooler conditions, their combs shrunk down to a more typical size.

Pat covered roosters very thoroughly.

Also, a hen that is laying will have a larger and darker red comb than a pullet that hasn't started to lay. When my chickens stop laying, their combs become less red. When they start up again, they become more red again. Many species of creatures have physical signals of when they are in breeding condition and I think that's where this comes from. It makes sense that over time, creatures that can signal that they are a good choice to mate with, are going to be more successful and pass that on to more offspring.

Some breeds have been bred specifically to have smaller combs, so they will be more cold hardy. The rest are mainly because people like how they look or to continue the traditional form in a heritage breed, like a living history.