Tell me about combs?

[Jilara]

I've got a couple hens I got about a month ago, and they're almost 4 months old, but no sign of combs. However, Bianca, the big dumpy Cornish X, who is three weeks younger, has been getting a magnificent comb and wattles. So what about these little gals, who barely have a ridge on the top of their heads, and are distinctly wattle-less?

I know there are different kinds of combs, but do they come in at different rates/ages, depending on the type of chicken? Are these gals ever going to develop even a neat little pea comb? Is there an age a hen should develop a comb by?

 

[Kanchii]

Are they bearded? If so they wont have wattles, and yeah they could just have a small pea or rose comb or something. Got pics?

 

[Jilara]

No beards. Just sleek heads.

Hmm, I need to get some close-ups of the ladies!

 

[josh_bigler]

what breed are they??

 

[keljonma]

This article talks about the different types of combs.


http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/3/3-1/Dave_Anderson.html

 

[Jilara]

The problem is, aside from the Cornish, they are local mongrel breeds that have been a crazy gene pool for maybe 200 years, because they ranged freely and swapped heritage repeatedly. Well, actually, Juanita (for San Juan Bautista, where they came from) looks like she might be an Ancora. But these hens have completely mixed genetics!

 

[Jilara]

And that should be Ancona. Jeez, I just can't type todya...

 

[Lea71]

I would be very interested in seeing a pic...you have to post a pic. San Juan Bautista is centered around a mission that was settled by the Spanish....I think....so these must have come over from Europe....definitely mixed-breed yard birds.