[3]: 142  Their popularity as an ornamental breed first took flight after King Richard III began to raise them.

[3]: 142  The breed's eponymous trait is its rose comb, which is large compared to its overall body size.

They also sport relatively substantial white earlobes, prodigious tails, and a compact body shape.

In addition to these general characteristics, Rosecombs appear in 25 different colour variations,[4]: 150-151  though black, blue, and white are the most common.

Due to a genetic trait tied to rose combed chickens, roosters may have low fertility.