6 The comb knows

The comb can indicate good health, ill-health, and sexual maturity in poultry.

When a hen stops laying eggs – when she goes broody, into a moult, or gets too old – her comb shrivels and becomes paler.

Certain diseases that cause a bird to stop laying can affect the appearance of the comb (eg, pale, colour change) or there may be other symptoms such as scabs.

See pages 59-60 for more on diseases that affect the comb