am i missing something simple?!

[Rorie]

So we have chocolate orpingtons. 10 weeks old.

One of them is growing a bright red comb with red wattles. I just assumed this was a male thing? I have just seen a photo of a chicken with comb and wattles looking after a chick....i never thought a cockerel would do this? Also, my better half pointed out to me that on the box of the eggs you buy from the supermarket there is a picture of a chicken with comb and wattles.

So, is it a cockerel thing, or do hens get it too?!

Further to this, a second chick of ours also has a bit of a comb, not as big. It also has the wattles coming thought. They both fight already! So this would back up the theory of them both being male?

The second chick doesn't have them nearly as pronounced. Are they likely to come through eventually if the same breed, or do some cockerels just not look as great as the others haha?

 

[MsBagawkbagawk]

Most chickens will get combs and wattles. Roos will just have bigger, fancier ones. They will also generally have longer tails and hackle and saddle feathers. You will know a rooster when you see it. The two you are talking about are probably roosters.

Your hens will get waddles and combs but they won't be as big and will develop later.

 

[RonC]

My PR hens all have combs and wattles. Some are larger than others and all different shapes. One started getting redder before the rest by a week or so and had me worried about being a roo' but no crowing as of almost 5 months. Seems she was about 10 weeks when she started geting red. It's specific to certain breeds I believe.