# What type of comb is this?



## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)




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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It looks like an incomplete single comb or one that's suffered frostbite.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

No possibility of frostbite here. The temperature rarely drops below 28C just before dawn.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I have never seen anything like them. Maybe PJ or Dan will have an idea. 

I'll send them this way.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

That is a very large and interesting comb! I'm guessing it's some form of hybrid cushion comb. Some Jungle Fowl and Gamefowl have cushion combs that sit very far forward on their heads which that one certainly does. That got me to thinking and I pulled out some of my old books this morning from the late 1800s when breeders in the States and England especially were doing the Jungle crosses. Of course, most of the cocks in the paintings were dubbed, I found an illustration of "Mr. C.W. Bierley's Pair of Pile Game, 1871" which look somewhat similar to Biring's bird. I also found an 1872 pair of Henny Games which look similar. Back in the day, they would do paintings of the birds that won special prizes, in this case, Manchester and Liskeard shows respectively. The original British and U.S. poultry Standards were formed from the paintings and engravings of artists like Herbert Atkinson and J.W. Ludlow. When I spoke previously of the Oxford and Carlisle split in England, both sides took on these illustrations as "the standard" and tried to breed to that. I'm sure Biring has some very interesting and antique genetic material in his birds! I, myself am interested in what other types of Jungle and Game crosses are in his area.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I suspect PJ would give anything to come see your birds in person. The ancient breeds are his first love.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

All of our modern Western breeds allegedly originated with the Red Jungle Fowl about two million years ago according to the Encylcopedia of Aviculture. Their entry regarding the 20 types of Ancient Guineas is also interesting. They originated in Ethiopia.


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## Biring (Sep 24, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> I, myself am interested in what other types of Jungle and Game crosses are in his area.


I'll try to take some photos of my neighbours' chickens.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Thanks, I think it's good for us to learn more about these birds!


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