A chickens comb and wattles are used to both cool the bird and attract a mate. Blood comes very close to the surface at these areas and helps cool the bird down. Chickens do not sweat but they do pant. They also use dust baths to help keep cool.
Stress could be the reason for a broody hen's comb to go grey. A change in comb color often happens when a hen isn't feeling well or is missing something in their diet.
The fleshy growth on top of a rooster's head, known as the comb, is used to attract hens. Hens are attracted to roosters with big, bright combs.
Bullying from roosters and other hens can cause fights that result in bleeding if the comb is pulled. Frostbite is also a possibility if their is colder temperatures than usual.
Yes. Most North Americans will not eat the comb or wattle . It is fatty and tough but it is pickled by several cultures. It needs to be boiled and preserved in a vinegar solution to soften it up.
When chickens grow up, the roosters often develop the red comb and wattle, and denser feathers, before hens. Fully-grown roosters are usually larger than the hens. They have a leaner, less 'dumpy' shape, and their tail feathers are much larger and curve out. They often have a larger, brighter comb and wattle. They also strut around, crow, and if run with hens will attempt to mount them.
You know when a hen is ready to start laying eggs when her comb drops, and her face feathers are full and have lost the "pinkish" color.
The hen who is laying will have an inflamed comb. When they stop laying or aren't laying yet, their combs become a pinkish-pale color.
Are you sure the others are hens? Usually the cockerels wattle and comb grows in much quicker than the hens but hens of the same breed and brood usually grow at the same rate. The hen you are comparing it to may be a late hatch chick and is less healthy.
YES!! Certain breeds of hens do have what looks like an afro hair do. Silkie's and polish hens have tufts of "hair" instead of a comb on the top of their heads. See "related links" below for a picture of a silkie hen
Hard to tell when they are babies. Once they start to grow up it gets easier. The males will develop combs faster and much more pronounced than the hens. That also depends on if you have breeds that will have no comb at all, like a silkie. In general the hen has a smaller comb.
The roosters comb is like a tiny radiator. Blood comes close to the surface at the comb and wattles and air passing over these helps cool the blood. The comb and wattles also act as attractants to the females, a rooster with a good healthy comb is a potentially good mate.
The comb is used to create wells in the gel where samples can be loaded for electrophoresis. It helps to organize the samples and ensure that they are separated properly during the process.