written by: dr. jacquie jacob, university of kentucky
a comb is the fleshy, red outgrowth on top of a chicken’s head. types of combs, shown below, include single, rose, pea, cushion, strawberry, buttercup, and v-shaped. the comb primarily is for display, but it also serves to cool the bird in hot weather. in hens, the comb is an indicator of egg production status. a large, red comb typically indicates a hen that is laying eggs; a small, pink comb indicates a bird that is not laying.
different types of chicken combs. source: university of illinois. used with permission.