Australorp question about sexing with tail feathers

[jeaucamom]

We have 5 Australorps and 2 have very pronounced tails coming in and 3 have absolutley no tail feathers. Does anyone know if that is a gender characteristic??

 

[s6bee]

I really don't know if I can help you with this since I have no roos, but my pullets have small tail feathers. I think that Austrolorps have small tail feathers by comparison to some other breeds.

Stephanie

 

[jeaucamom]

Forgot to add that mine are only a week or so old.

 

[Frizzledhen]

I do believe the little girls get their wing and tail feathers in before the little boys.

 

[Chirpy]

We got five Australorp hens as chicks. By week five we knew we had one Roo in the bunch. It was very obvious as his comb and wattle were much more developed and he was larger than the four girls.

I don't remember if his tail feathers were longer at that age or not, sorry.

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Quote:
Lisa (aka wooden_pony) said the feed store down where we live there is a guy that is really good at picking out the sex on young chicks. The ones that have the longer tails are the females and the shorter ones are the males. The guy at the feed store said everyone always wants the ones w/ the short tails, but those are males. So far all of the birds Lisa has gotten from this guy in the past is 100% on picking out females for her. I'd say that is pretty good.

Kim

 

[skeeter9]

Yep, the guy at the feedstore is right. In general, the females will get their tail feathers before the males.

Lori