Why do battery hens have big, floppy combs?

[The Chicken Lady]

I've always wondered this. The combs of battery hens are bigger and floppier than a rooster's. Why?

Any thoughts?

 

[mtnhomechick]

What is a battery hen?

 

[MissPrissy]

It is due to a combination of things. Being fed a feed that geared to egg production and minimal waste (poop), lack of exercise, lack of natural sunlight.

Take a hen from a battery cage, put her in a backyard flock and you will see over time the comb begin to stand up and sometimes they will shrink a little.

To me the results of a battery hen put in a backyard flock and the changes in the comb tells me (although they deny it) there is something hormal they are changing in those hens to produce the eggs they are laying.

 

[fivebigreds]

Most battery hens ( hens kept for commercial egg production ) are leghorns which have a large comb anyway.
Maybe the hen is so weak , underfed and featherless that the comb just looks larger. They probably do pump hormones into the birds. As the saying goes it's the love of money that is the root of all evil.
They don't care what they feed us or what it does to us so long as the bottom line looks good. That is in all the food at the store. I feel a soap box coming on !!!!

 

[Flyingbavarian]

Floppy combs in some Mediterranean breeds isn't abnormal. I have seen leghorn hens have big floppy combs and they were well cared for. I have never seen a battery hen so i don't have anything to compare to. But i know that leghorn and crosses of that breed are used. It makes you wonder if they are that much bigger in battery hens what could cause it though.

 

[Knight Hawk Ranch]

I have 4 leghorn pullets and two of them have developed flopp overs on thier combs.
These are hand raised and are free range and look pretty healthy to me.

 

[antlers]

My personal THEORY is lack of exercise. If I get a hen that goes broody, Her comb flops over some too until she quits brooding and movng around a lot again. But hey! What do I know!

 

[d.k]

* I thought it must be breed-related, too. Chook has a huge, floppy comb. Some of the neighborhood kids have insisted she's a roo, even after I told them she lays eggs!! Lol!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Quote:
Yeah, I think the white-faced black Spanish hens have large, floppy combs. Interesting thought...

 

[DuckLady]

Battery hens are usually leghorns because they lay so well.

And leghorns have FABULOUS floppy combs. I think they look 1940's vampy.
I love leghorn combs.