Comb - a fleshy growth on top of a chicken's head.
In chickens, a healthy comb is almost always
red, although color can vary in other bird species, such as turkeys, and certain breeds, such
as silkies, which have bluish black combs. Although the purpose of the comb isn't fully known, there
are widely accepted theories on it's use. Seemingly, the biggest use of the comb is as a cooling
system for the chicken. As blood flows to the comb, it cools off, as the vessels are closer to the skin,
and not insulated by feathers. When the blood returns to the rest of the body, it is cooler than the rest
of the blood, and thus helps cool off the body
Nostril - Openings on the upper part of the beak through which air enters the nasal
cavities.
Beak - The chicken's beak serves three functions. First, it is
the chicken's mouth. Second, it is used for fighting and
protection. And third, it functions as the teeth of the
chicken, enabling the bird to break grass, bananas and other
foods into pieces small enough to swallow.
Beak - The chicken's beak serves three functions. First, it is the chicken's
mouth. Second, it is used for fighting and protection. And third, it functions as
the teeth of the chicken, enabling the bird to break grass, bananas and other
foods into pieces small enough to swallow.
Comb and wattles - It is believed that the comb and wattles of chickens serve to
cool their blood.
Figure 6
Ear lobes - The ear lobes of chickens serve hearing and other ear functions.
Eyes - The eyeball of a chicken is stationary; thus, a chicken must move its head
to vary the range of vision
Feathers - Feathers provide insulation and bufter extremes of heat and cold.
Wings - Chickens cannot fly very well. They can flap their wings sufficiently to
raise themselves about three meters (m) off the ground
Tail and tail feathers - The tail is used for balance while walking and, in flying,
as a rudder for up - and - down and side - to - side motion.
Feet and claws - In addition to walking, feet and claws are used in fighting (for
protection) and in finding food.
There are several differences between male and female chickens that should help
in identification.
These are:
Size - The male will grow taller and usually weighs between 0.5 and 1 kg (1 to 2
pounds) more than females of the same age upon reaching maturity. A male of
one breed may weigh less than the female of another breed. This greater size is
not apparent until the chicken attains four weeks of age. At one day old there is
no difference at all between male and female chicks.
Comb and spurs - The comb of the male will become much larger than the
comb of a female. On the female, spurs hardly develop at all when compared to
the male.
Vocal expressions - Everyone knows that a rooster crows while a hen doesn't.
What is not generally known is that roosters crow intermittently all day long, not
just in the morning.
Feathers - Adult males have distinguishably different feathers from those of
adult females. The most distinguishable are the tail feathers which are long and
stringy on the male.
Usually male chickens of improved layer breeds are destroyed within a day or
two after they are taken from the incubator because it is uneconomical to raise
them for meat. In the case of improved meat breeds, both female and male are of
economic value and are raised.
