Is this an ok Comb color?

[5770amber]

Does the comb on my black sex links look ok? Or irate they too pale?

 

[gofeedthegirls]

I have a similar thing going on in my flock too. One has a pale color to it...kind of like the color of human skin, but the rest are a nice bright red. Sorry im no help but I am wondering aswell. Hopefully smeone with experience can have that answered for you.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Usually the comb color will fade like when they stop laying, it usually happens before a molt, or when they take a break in laying, a bright red enlarged comb means they are laying, it's a visual sign to the rooster of when they are fertile, or when it fades not fertile.

 

[5770amber]

These girls are about 20 weeks and haven't started laying yet. My other laying hens are bright red but none of my black sex links are. I figured as they started growing their comb it would come in red?

 

[Mrs. K]

I would say they are quite a bit from laying with a comb on a young hen like that. I could be wrong, but ususally the comb turns bright red, and a couple of weeks later they start laying.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well I feel dumb, yeah, a bit away from laying, quite normal, sorry

 

[5770amber]

I would say they are quite a bit from laying with a comb on a young hen like that. I could be wrong, but ususally the comb turns bright red, and a couple of weeks later they start laying.

So it only turns red when they are laying? The dull color is normal for youngsters then?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yes red means they are laying or getting ready to lay, the comb also gets bigger, sorry for some reason I thought your birds were older.

 

[Mrs. K]

Yes, the comb is light colored until maturity hits, and then it will take a bit of time before they lay. The comb gets bright red, then they begin to squat for you, if you don't have a rooster, and then they lay.

Don't feel dumb, everyone asks questions when they don't know, or just see the problem differently.

It does surprize me that these are black sex links, I have had the red sex links and they were laying at 20 weeks.

Mrs K

 

[5770amber]

We got all our girls from 2 locals. They say they sex links were 4 month old and we had them for a month. They are still pretty small. We got 19 chickens total, different breeds, and 8 are laying. The 7 sex links didn't have and comb when we got them. Do you think they are that old?