# The combs on Barred Plymouth Rock hens



## pioneerMan (Jun 26, 2021)

How come some of my hens have a comb and the others don't? They are all the same age.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

It could be different breeds. It could be that you have a bunch of roosters maturing. 

If you can some pics would be really helpful in being able to answer you question.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

Yup, a picture would help, but if they're young and all the same age, the ones with the bigger combs are cockerels.


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## Animals45 (May 11, 2021)

Picture would be helpful.. Possibly some may have single combs and other have pea combs. Or like danathome and robin said possibly some could be cockerels n some pullets.


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

Pictures are absolutely necessary to be able to tell anything. Every thing else is nothing more than conjecture. FWIW, Barred rocks do not have pea combs, but Dominiques, which are often confused with BRs, have rose combs.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

A teachable moment. Now I need to remember that.


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## ChickenBiscuts (May 28, 2021)

Pictures? Possible you have some doms mixed in.


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## pioneerMan (Jun 26, 2021)

Okay here is a photo. I can try to get a better one later if needed.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

The bird on the right is a rooster. He should be crowing by now. Or very soon. Listen for something that sounds like it's being strangled, that's him working out his technique.


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## pioneerMan (Jun 26, 2021)

I guess I'll be making some chicken noodle soup sometime in the near future then. I don't like being awakened at dawn by roosters because I sleep in until 8.


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## ChickenBiscuts (May 28, 2021)

pioneerMan said:


> Okay here is a photo. I can try to get a better one later if needed.
> 
> View attachment 41581


The one on the right is a cockerel. The other is a pullet. The pullet just has a smaller comb.


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## ChickenBiscuts (May 28, 2021)

pioneerMan said:


> I guess I'll be making some chicken noodle soup sometime in the near future then. I don't like being awakened at dawn by roosters because I sleep in until 8.


Depends what your setup is like. I have never ever heard any of my guys at night or in the morning. And I have had as many as 8 roosters at any given time. But I have a four wall coop and an automatic door that doesn!t open till later so the sound does not not escape. If you have a three wall coop or a pen or something then yeah, that'll get old real fast.


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## imnukensc (Dec 5, 2020)

A few other things that set the cockerel apart from the pullet: he is overall much lighter in color due to the double barring in males, has definite saddle feathers, much, much larger wattles than the pullet, and the prominent beginnings of spurs. While I can't see the pullet's legs, I'd bet they're much darker than the cock's. BR hens typically have a dark "wash" on their legs as chicks that fade as they get older. Can't tell for sure, but in the picture her toes look much darker than the roo's.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That's quite a bit for not being able to see the hen in a side shot. I just saw the comb and wattles and knew he was a male. 

Ken, we need to hear your story.


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