double comb?

[Svarthona]

That's fascinating! Thank you so much for going through the troubles of taking a non blurry head/comb picture, I really appreciate it

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Now I have an idea of what to look for when going through old books and photo albums at the local heritage club and library. They have a whole lot of farm-pictures and I'm hoping to find some with chickens and interesting combs on them.

 

[alohachickens]

Many of my Aloha chickens have had true DOUBLE combs. They either "split" in the back, where it starts of single-combed and then fans out, or a few have had honest-to-goodness two full combs, side by side. What is ironic is these combs are coming from a mongrel "landrace" random-bred hen that started this program, and the program is an effort to recreate a US version of the Swedish Spotted Hens.

I'll try to get photos of the double combs, it's kind of challenging since they move around so much!

OK, this is the PERFECT shot to show you what I mean:

But from other angles it can be hard to tell:

All of the above photos are of the SAME rooster. From the side, he looks "normal".

We have had all kinds of strange combs on these Alohas. We're trying to get an upright single comb, but some of the odd shaped combs can be kind of fun, actually. The giant upright double combs are my favorite. Went up to cull a friend's stock yesterday, one of the roosters had a comb that looked like two horns! Where the heck did that come from??? LOL!

 

[alohachickens]

On a side note, here I've been trying hard to breed it out. My goodness, is this something people would actually like? LOL!!!

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

CHeck out the comb genetics thread. I had a bird with a comb like that.

 

[spiritdance]

Isn't the Sicilian Buttercup's comb a modification of a double comb?

 

[pgpoultry]

I think they are great.

These guys are meant to have split combs, too.

Lastat, La Fleche cockerel

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Your La Fleche has a V-Comb not a Double comb.

Chris

 

[exop]

From what I have seen with my own birds, the V comb (like on the LaFleche above) is a very spiny double comb PLUS some other gene combination which suppresses the comb growth towards the beak.

I have seen this "frontal comb suppression gene" at work in a variety of Houdan-crossbred chickens, resulting in cushion combs, pea combs, and even single combs which start much further up the slope of the head than normal, with a smooth, fleshy area downstream.

Certain Houdans and Crèvecoeurs which have a small "blob" of flesh atop their beak are a case where comb suppression, as I am going to call it, kicks in a little further up the slope of the head. A promiscuous Creve rooster I have, who has managed to inflict his genes on a number of surprise, hen-incubated chicks over the years, has produced some unusual combs including one doubled, medially suppressed cushion comb which looks like a triceratops. Will upload some pictures.

Best - exop

 

[exop]

Quote:
Yes, it's speculated to be a different allele of double comb, Dc instead of Dv, which accounts for the difference in shape. I suspect that a number of factors may be involved as I have bred a nearly-buttercup combed cockerel from a mixture of Silkies and Houdans whose ancestry is unlikely to include any Buttercups.

I believe Gérard Cocquerelle may have written on this; I have been meaning to wade into Les poules : diversité genetique visible , guess I should.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
I think the rooster in your post has one Dv allele, which is the same gene that makes the Polish, La Flèche, etc. comb when combined with a single comb.