why dont any of my chickens have combs even the rooster!

[1muttsfan]

You might try adding some light for a longer day. I have a timer that turns the light on at 3:30 am, so that the total amount of light they get is around 13 hours. Egg laying has really picked up and some of my slow-to-start young hens have finally got their mojo going.

 

[Wife With 2 Kids]

Quote:
How old are your hens that have just started laying with the extra 'light' hours? I have 3 hens that are 12 weeks old, no eggs just yet. We just gave 4 roosters to a farmer today and my hens seem to be lost without them....is this normal or should I be concerned that my girls seemed stressed? They all came from the same hatchery and have always been together.

 

[1muttsfan]

Most hens don't start laying until around 5 to 5 1/2 months (24 weeks or so)

 

[JodyJo]

here is a shot of one of my 25 week old EE girls, with a pea comb...very small combs, almost non-existent for the longest time...
If you post some pics it would be nice so we can see...

BTW no eggs from my EE yet....
and no, you don't need a rooster for eggs....they will lay them with or without a male around.

 

[popsicle]

Quote:
If he's silkie, I don't think he will have a big comb also

 

[debid]

If you want chickens with big combs, get some Leghorns!

It takes time -- they're young. None of my birds laid before 23 weeks. That's zero of 9. I have some that I'm still waiting on at 35 weeks. And they do like their rooster now but didn't seem to until they became interested in laying eggs

That's one of the ways you can tell when they reach sexual maturity. And, yes, you have selected chickens that often will have small combs so I wouldn't expect huge combs on any of them.

 

[PoultryPedia]

JodyJo--What a beautiful picture