Gold Comet juveniles... Can females start to get combs a little early?

[emartin]

We have a Gold Comet juvenile we bought as a female that is about 5-7 weeks old now (growing fast!).

While her comb appeared about a week or two ago it is still pale buff-pink color and still looks feminine to me but it's worrying me since they are supposed to be color-sexed, plus we asked a friend of ours who have what we believe are gold comets (they bought as barred rocks from the same store but they are definitely not barred rocks, got to be gold comets (guy who sold them was probably an idiot) and those are about 2-4 months old now and she's really only seeing combs now.

I can get a picture of the gold comet in question taken soon and post it here but I was wondering especially since it is a hybrid variety if it can be normal for them to develop combs a little early. The comb isn't HUGE but you can definitely see it.

When we bought it was was reddish colored and now it's getting DARK red feathers around the neck. I don't remember what color the wings are though I'll have to take a look again.

~Ed

 

[lauralou]

Yes, they can. I have a red sex link who looks like a normal hen now, but when she was young, her comb was huge and blazing red in comparison to all of the others. And she wasn't even laying yet.

People complimented me on my pretty rooster!

 

[emartin]

Quote:
So yours got a large comb but was a female anyway, or is a roo?

 

[emartin]

Oh and the wings have both white and dark brown on them.

 

[lauralou]

She's a hen. Her name is Ruby, and she's a fabulous egg layer.

People thought she was a rooster because she looked so different from her sisters early on.

I knew she was a hen because she was a sex-link. Only the female red sex links are red. It would be the same for you. If she's really a Gold Comet, only the females will be red/gold. I believe that the males are white. I could be wrong about that.

However, if the guy who sold her to you MAY possibly be an idiot, then she may possibly not be a Gold Comet.

Post a picture, and let's have a look at her!

 

[gumpsgirl]

The Golden Comets mature much earlier than standards as they are a hybrid chicken and lay as much as 2 to 4 weeks earlier than regular standard hens.

 

[Quillgirl]

Mine is 8.5 weeks and has a pronounced comb compared to the others in my flock, but not much wattle. Her hackles are rounded and no spurs and her tail looks girlie.

 

[gumpsgirl]

The thing is with the Golden Comets, there is no mistaking when they sex them. The pullets are the lighter red color and the cockerels are yellow. The cockerels also grow out to be mostly white.