Yeah, I'm pretty sure this is a rooster!

[bantyprincess]

This little guy rules the roost! Literally! At two weeks he already has an amazing comb.

 

[ChickenChatten]

Yep! I agree; he's a roo!

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

Yep! I agree; he's a roo!

the one in the center front is too. Too pronounced of a comb on that one as well, but lower ranked so not as developed.

 

[bantyprincess]

the one in the center front is too. Too pronounced of a comb on that one as well, but lower ranked so not as developed. 

Interesting. Do you think rank plays a part in comb development?

 

[my sunwolf]

Interesting. Do you think rank plays a part in comb development?

No but comb plays a part in rank

 

[bantyprincess]

No but comb plays a part in rank

Oh, I see. Makes sense.

 

[EEBLACKCOPPERMARAN]

it looks like a rooster lol!

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

lower ranked males usually have a damper on their testosterone flow(since if they get too upity the boss bird may get a bit confrontational) and testosterone = comb development.

Usually in a group of same age roosters only 1 or 2 top rank roosters will crow while the rest will lie low and mature much later.

 

[my sunwolf]

lower ranked males usually have a damper on their testosterone flow(since if they get too upity the boss bird may get a bit confrontational) and testosterone = comb development.

Usually in a group of same age roosters only 1 or 2 top rank roosters will crow while the rest will lie low and mature much later.

So you're saying that rank actually influences testosterone flow?

I always heard that males who genetically have more testosterone mature faster and therefore are more dominant, whereas the ones who mature slower have less testosterone and so are less dominant.

I have also had problems with cockerels maturing at similar rates and fighting too hard at 3 months old because of this, so it doesn't make sense to me that the others' testosterone flow would be capped while the dominant cockerel gets to keep maturing.

 

[fancyfowl4ever]

More or less yes(its an over simplified way of putting it, but thats the gist of it), naturally lower ranked males keep a damper on the hormones to keep fighting down amongst themselfs(if they can't beat the head honcho whats the point of of squabbling amonst eachother?), it is energy wasting to fight before they are really 100% ready to have a harem in the first place and go into deathmatches with eachother, and being less hormonal in the presents of the dominant they seem less threatening to his status and therefor are usually easier accepted and peaceful.
Also depends on how dominant the dominant male in the group is as well. If the top male is a very agressive dominant you will notice maturing really slowed with the lower ranking males(observed this in both sheep and fowl in bachelor groups). More mellow dominant males dont seem to impede growth as much.
I keep all my male animals in bachelor groups until i need them for breeding and on occasion I do have very agressive dominants and if I want to actually see any of the lower ranking cockerels/rams/males etc mature I have to pen them by themselfs and they flourish within a few short weeks of the move.