What do comb shades mean

[Squawkers]

The way I was reading it was that you can't really tell how they are feeling. We can think they are feeling a certain way but we don't actually know what it means for each individual bird. Just like in humans each bird may express the same thing differently (ex. some people laugh when they are nervous, while others sweat, and others fidget).

I may be wrong though.

I agree, it is very very obvious that chickens have emotions. I’m sure anyone who is in this forum spends enough time with their chickens to know that. And anyone who has spent ANY length of time with a dog, knows they for sure have emotions.

 

[Squawkers]

I’ve always wondered about bugs though and @Logar is the perfect one to ask. Do you think bugs or your snakes/toads do?

 

[Barbours]

I'm pondering a question since hen's combs change shades from pale to bright red throughout the day (or even within a minute) Are there reasons it might be pale or bright red? Like when a hen is relaxed her comb seems paler but when more alert it's bright red. Do color's indicate emotion and temperment or is it just natural?

It's usually normal. Like when mine wake up and get more active it turns bright red. And when my roo gets angry his turns a purplish red.

 

[Barbours]

My mama always calls it their mood ring comb

 

[Logar]

I’ve always wondered about bugs though and @Logar is the perfect one to ask. Do you think bugs or your snakes/toads do?

I personally don't believe bugs do but I do believe reptiles and amphibians have emotions, although I do think how advanced the emotions are depends on the species of reptile/amphibian. I think it is in a different way than with mammals and birds but I have noticed distinct differences with my skink especially. some days he is very easy going and doesn't mind when I pick him up but others he doesn't seem to want to be held (he just tries to get away from me compared to just letting me scoop him up).

 

[Squawkers]

I personally don't believe bugs do but I do believe reptiles and amphibians have emotions, although I do think how advanced the emotions are depends on the species of reptile/amphibian. I think it is in a different way than with mammals and birds but I have noticed distinct differences with my skink especially. some days he is very easy going and doesn't mind when I pick him up but others he doesn't seem to want to be held (he just tries to get away from me compared to just letting me scoop him up).

That’s interesting. What you said about bugs makes sense, because thristlewick specified vertebrates.

 

[SamLockwood]

I'm pondering a question since hen's combs change shades from pale to bright red throughout the day (or even within a minute) Are there reasons it might be pale or bright red? Like when a hen is relaxed her comb seems paler but when more alert it's bright red. Do color's indicate emotion and temperment or is it just natural?

It's really context-dependent.

A pale comb can indicate anemia, a chicken that's molting, cold weather, or one that's just calm.

A really red comb can be hot weather or high body temperature, exceitement, or just exertion.

Bluish or purple combs usually mean some sort of oxygen deprivation problem, such as a respiratory infection or heart trouble.

You've got to look at other things if you're going to sense what their emotions are: body language, the sounds they're making.

 

[K0k0shka]

I wouldn't say that animals need to be evolutionarily close to us in order to have similar experiences as us, like emotions. Sometimes evolution takes different paths to arrive at similar results. For example, by now there is no doubt that the octopus is an incredibly intelligent creature, capable of complex social behavior, despite being an invertebrate, and a solitary animal (while intelligence, including social intelligence, is traditionally ascribed to higher animals like vertebrates, and specifically social vertebrates). The octopus has taken a different path to arrive at a similar place. Who knows what else we'll learn about other animals as well.

As for chickens, it would be a lot more practical and accurate to try to judge their emotions by observing the whole picture - not just the comb, but also the body language and vocalizations. The latter two are how they communicate those emotions to each other, so it would be better to read that instead. The comb seems to be more useful in judging fertility or overall health, rather than more fine tune things like emotional state.

 

[IsaChicks]

It's really context-dependent.

A pale comb can indicate anemia, a chicken that's molting, cold weather, or one that's just calm.

A really red comb can be hot weather or high body temperature, exceitement, or just exertion.

Bluish or purple combs usually mean some sort of oxygen deprivation problem, such as a respiratory infection or heart trouble.

You've got to look at other things if you're going to sense what their emotions are: body language, the sounds they're making.

Thank you and yes of course I just mean when it comes to temperment i've noticed changing of the comb color

 

[IsaChicks]

Y'all do know that animals do in fact experience emotion.

An amygdala, which all vertebrates have, create and handle emotions.

If you want to scoff and not believe me, here is an article from the National Institutes of Health that explains it.

Yup it's animal psychology or in a chicken's case... Chicken psychology! ba-gawk!