# Combs growing at different rates?



## bcfox26 (Jul 11, 2013)

Is it normal for the comb and wattles to grow at diffident rates? All my chicks were bought the same day from the same place and were all toughly the same size as babies. Now at almost 18 weeks I have a few with large grown combs and a few with hardly any. Is there something I should look for?

















These were taken the same day just different chicks.


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## enthusiast07 (Jul 27, 2013)

It is likely that those with the larger combs are roosters if all of your chicks were the same breed.


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## bcfox26 (Jul 11, 2013)

I sure hope they are not roosters. They were supposed to be all girls?


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

They look like hens to me. If they are from a hatchery, they could just have different genes. Some just start laying sooner than others.
Good luck!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Are you sure their not roosters with the red combs? Maybe some are reddening getting ready to lay.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

The one in the second pic has some roosterish looking feathering going on....only time will tell for sure.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Bee said:


> The one in the second pic has some roosterish looking feathering going on....only time will tell for sure.


Yep, the hackle feathers do look a little pointed.


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## bcfox26 (Jul 11, 2013)

I hope they are girls as I am not allowed to have a rooster. But I have a contingency plan if I do have one. The barred has a lot of comb as well while my buff o barely has any. The reds are the only ones I have that are the same breed so I was comparing them to each other. When should I be able to tell if its a hen or rooster?


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Looks like you will be getting eggs before too long from the BR. Maybe what you are seeing now are the first signs of telling the difference of hen or rooster.


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## mcchicken (Mar 24, 2013)

I had the Same problem with my girls. But they are starting to even out.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

This one is definitely a Barred Rock rooster. As for the production Reds they are hard to tell since they grow at basically the same pace and are so similar.


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