Trouble with peacombs...roos?

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I have a Buckeye and a Blue Ameraucana that are 8 weeks, and have suddenly developed a little more in the comb area. Otherwise, they are shaped like pullets as compared to my other roos of the same age. I know 3 ridges=roo, but these combs don't quite look like my other roo's 3 ridged combs. Opinions?

 

[phasianidae]

Three ridges does not equal male. Both male and female chickens can have pea combs. All of the chickens you pictured are cockerels.

Ryan

 

[BlueCamas]

Those look like cockerels to me.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Three ridges does not equal male. Both male and female chickens can have pea combs. All of the chickens you pictured are cockerels.

Ryan

I realize both male and female chickens can have peacombs, but females generally have one ridge on their peacomb. These just look somewhere in between, compared with my more obvious roos who already have 3 pronounced ridges.

Well poo...I have too many roosters.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

With these guys, it's also the bright pink color that indicates roos. (At least that's my experience with EEs)

 

[speckledhen]

They are both males. I used to breed BBS Ameraucanas, loved them. At 8 weeks, no pullet had a comb like that.

Pullets don't get the two outer rows of "peas" until later on, so the middle ridge is usually the only one you see for awhile, as opposed to the cockerels, whose combs stand up and have all three rows showing much, much earlier than the pullets.

 

[phasianidae]

I realize both male and female chickens can have peacombs, but females generally have one ridge on their peacomb. These just look somewhere in between, compared with my more obvious roos who already have 3 pronounced ridges.

Well poo...I have too many roosters.

How many pea comb chickens have you raised in your time?

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

How many pea comb chickens have you raised in your time?

About 2 dozen. Not a lot. I'm certainly no expert. Why do you ask?

This whole set has me thrown. My EEs developed so much slower than this batch of Ameraucanas. This is my first and only Buckeye. Two of the Ameraucana cockerels of the same age are already trying to crow, and have tall, curvy tail feathers. If these 2 are also roosters, that means my spring hatch produced 80% males including all breeds. I guess I need to make more room in the freezer.

 

[Pele]

They are both males. I used to breed BBS Ameraucanas, loved them. At 8 weeks, no pullet had a comb like that.

Pullets don't get the two outer rows of "peas" until later on, so the middle ridge is usually the only one you see for awhile, as opposed to the cockerels, whose combs stand up and have all three rows showing much, much earlier than the pullets.

x2 lovely summary

 

[speckledhen]

Thank you! I do rather miss having all those Ameraucana chicks around. My last three hens are aging now, all over 4 years old.