Comb in Chickens

What is it about?

There are many cues for selection exists in poultry breeding which gives the important insight for future selection of elite progeny. Among these cues the comb is an important reliable parameter for selection within variety or breed. The development of comb is associated with different hormonal levels in body which effect on different productive and reproductive parameters. Comb is also effect the mating behavior of birds and may use as an indicator for selection by affecting on productive and reproductive performance. The regression of comb indicates that birds are trailing their productive ability. The strong selection for increased comb size did not affect male mortality but increased mortality in females. Production traits of layers have the positive correlation with their own comb size and comb size showed a negative effect on bird’s viability. A review on the comb as important ornamental trait is presented including its morphology, development, as selection tool and effect of comb size on production and reproduction traits.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

The comb is an ornamental organ which turns the bird into a beautiful picture for rich diverse heritage at different age. Red jungle fowl are the ancestors of domestic chickens, and are highly sexually dimorphic, with the male possessing a red fleshy comb and wattles as well as bright plumage, while the female is relatively drab and cryptic .The variety of chicken combs in the world today can be traced back to only two types of genes, pea comb and rose comb genes. The American Poultry Association recognized nine different kinds of combs like, pea, rose, single, carnation or king’s, buttercup, cushion, strawberry, silkie and walnut. Comb colour and bigger size in birds is an indicator of cell mediated immunity and healthy comb generally is the indicator of health status, different disease resistance and nutritional status in flock. comb is an important secondary sexual character which tells us about the bird’s biological status of different hormones in the body. Comb is used as the visual indicator of sex differentiates character in birds. The main ambition of present effort is to divulge the relation of productive and reproductive response with the comb size of dam and sire in flock and also use this indicator (comb) for selection of different traits in poultry breeding.

Perspectives