What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[likeastar--x]

Anyone with pekin bantams...when do their combs start to develop? i think mine are over 25 weeks or so, but i got my big chickens when they were nearer 18 weeks and they had a comb even if it was small. the bantams have teeny white combs identical to when we got them! thanks

[The Dogmother]

Of all the pure breeds, pekins are ones who develop the slowest, especially at this time of year with the shorter daylight hours. I wouldn't worry, nor expect too much until the spring.

[madchickenlady]

Two of my girls are 7 months old, two are 5 months and two are 4 months. None of them are overly developed in the comb area

[The Dogmother]

It depends really on what you're comparing it with; the two pekins I have at the moment are roughly the same age, but have very different sized combs. At this time of the year, they stop laying and their combs shrink and go pale anyway.

 

I wouldn't worry too much - I have 3 newish girls (pure breeds), who I bought in September - they are all around 28 weeks and I don't expect them to start laying until the spring.

[welsh sarah]

hi

mine are the same although they are about 17 weeks, they still seem tiny and have next to no comb.

i am hoping they grow a bit bigger so i can introduce them to the other gitls who tower over them at the moment.

sarah

[SAB]

They may be tiny, but you would be surprised how they can hold their own with the big girls - really fiesty wee things. My Tallulah will hover a few inches off the ground and fly straight at any of the big chooks if they even think of giving her stick - it is hilarious. She is also good at getting out of the way if there is squabbling between the larger birds. Hey, she even is friends with turkeys! Good luck with yours - we would love more pekins one day!