combs & wattles question

[kearstin17]

At what age do combs turn red or even pink for pullets? and what age do pullets get wattles? I have 13 chicks between the ages of 2 weeks to 7 weeks and I am freaked out that they are all Roo's as a lot of them are getting pink combs or wattles coming in. All of them came from different pullet bins but from the same store.


Here are the breeds I have incase you need to know

Silver laced wyandotte
Australorp
Ameraucana
White Leghorn
Light Brahma
Partrige Rock
Ancona
Buff Orpington
Rhode Island red
Speckled Sussex



Please help me out if you know anything about sexing any of the breeds above or when your pullet or roo started getting wattles or pink or red comb.

 

[lsg1007]

I can only speak from my own experience. Wattle and comb development depends on the breed. SLW develop early (roos may have comb development around 2wks) and then stall out for a while. The leghorn seems to have a fairly good single comb even at a few days old, but it should remain pale a 7 wks in females. The australorp female's comb may be back or pale for a while, while the male's grows pretty quickly. As for RIR, as I recall, the comb on my roo was growing and pinking up at ~3-4 wks and he was slow to feather out. The rocks comb may grow, but only the base of the comb (the fleshy part on the head) should be pink at 7 wks in a female, not actually the comb itself. Americaunas - I am assuming you actually have easter eggers (EE). EE have other clues. The males 3 rows of the peacomb should develop, while the female only really develops the middle row. EE roos also start sprouting mahogany patches on their wings at 6-8 wks (sometimes later). You can always post pics if you would like guesses at what they are.

 

[kearstin17]

Thank you so much. Your info has helped alot. On the EE you said the males get 3 rows and the girls get 1 row. at what age would I see the other rows coming in? My EE only has the 1 row but it's kind of getting pink. He or she is 6 weeks. also what is mahogany patches? sorry I am new at all of this. My husband got a crazy ideal to get chickens 8 weeks ago and I said ok without putting much thought into it. He had chickens when he was younger but with his job he is gone out of state 20 days a month and I am pretty clueless about chickens. Trying to learn as much as I can but wow there is just so much to learn lol

 

[lsg1007]

you can see the 3 rows when first hatched, but only the center develops in hens while all three rows develop in roos. Not my pic, but apparently a 6.5wk bantam EE roo. See the mahogany (deep red) patches on the wings?

Another roo at 6 wks (again not mine). See the mahogany?

 

[kearstin17]

Oh thank you so much. I see what your talking about.

 

[nakstk]

This is one of my Speckled Sussex at 4 weeks

at 15 or 16 weeks different pullet though

this is the same pullet as the first pic but at 42 weeks this was taken just a few days ago.

 

[kearstin17]

Thank you s much for the pictures. My Speckled Sussex is only 2 weeks old but these pictures will help me so much. I never realized how stressed I would get over this whole chicken thing. I think it's because I start to fall in love with one of my chickens and it turns into a roo so I am freaked out that they are all roo's as I am seeing wattles coming in on all my older chicks and then I see pink and red combs.

 

[Buckhunter76]

Awww, I want some EE and SS

 

[audrey02026]

I was just wondering the same thing. I was told that females don't get waddles this eary mine chicks are 3-7 weeks old as well and the older ones 6-7 weeks old some are getting small waddles. Only a few have obvious signs of being roosters I have 32 and I know that 5 possibly 6 are cockerals. Just trying to figure out which others could be as I need to rehome all cockerals. I have a guy comming for the 5 I currently know. I can only keep about 20 of them anyway regardless of the sex but I don't want to rehome too many until I know for sure the ones I want to keep are females. My breeds are:

Splash EE's
Golden Laced Polish
Golden Laced standard Cochin's
silver Penciled Brahma's
Cream Brabanters
Silver Penciled Plymouth Rocks
Silver Laced, Golden Laced and Blue red Laced Wyandottes
Spash Marans
Salmon Faveolle - definatly female based on feather coloring

 

[nakstk]

I wasn't sure what age yours were I have one more pic of one of my SS they were about 2 weeks at this time. You could tell that they have a single comb at that age but its not very big. Good luck. I am on my own adventure with 2 Wellies and an EE they are 3 weeks old.