Polish comb/crest

[BaGAWK!!]

At what age does the comb start to grow on a white crested black polish cockerel? In other words, when should I start seeing the "toothpicks" coming out of the crest? I'm trying to figure out if I have a male or female.

 

[Illia]

Most ideally, never. You want a Polish, doesn't matter the color, to have practically no comb, if not, the smaller the better, meaning you won't see much of a toothpick/V shape until at least 3-4 months of age. Ideally the crest should be full enough to cover what little is there especially when really young.

However, if from hatchery stock which most are, the comb is likely going to be big, so you'll probably see a tiny start of one at about 2 months old, it will progress from there. By 3 months you should see other signs though, such as shiny triangular feathers on the back, between where the wings are held. Those are little baby saddle feathers.