Australorps

[Tyandmacsmom]

I have five tiny Austraulorps, and thought I had read somewhere about tail development being an indication of sex. These guys are a couple of weeks old, and three out of the five have tail feathers and two have tiny little poofs (like a poof ball, just downy stuff.) Does that mean anything in this breed?

Thanks!
Miranda

 

[dianaross77]

Most people think roosters are slower to feather. That's not an exact science, though. I had sex links that I knew were all pullets but one of them took forever to feather out. Combs will probably be a better way to tell the sex. How do the combs on the two that are feathering slower compare to the other 3?

 

[Tyandmacsmom]

Here are some pictures of the babies, sorry for the quality of the photos. They are in a little pen area with Keets, which are startled very easily so I couldn't try to do pics of just one at a time.

Any idea what I've got? The A. are about 2 weeks old or so.

 

[dianaross77]

It's really too early to tell. In another month it will be easier to tell. I've seen some cockerels at 8 weeks with bright red combs! Did you hatch these, order pullets, order straight run...?

eta: now that I look really closely, I am a little concerned about the chick in 6&8. I wouldn't expect to see any comb on a pullet that age. Does that one have a stubby tail too? From the pics, if I had to pick one probable cockerel, it would be that one. But that's a shot in the dark.

 

[Tyandmacsmom]

I got these little babies from an elderly farmer.

It was most definitely as straight run as you can get, pick them out of their brooder and stuck them in my carrier. lol. I realized they could be used for both eggs and meat, so I wasn't overly concerned (although Sunday I did order little pullets assuming I didn't have any hens because that is JUST my luck.) I was checking them out a little more this afternoon, and you're right...at two weeks old, they are big combs. I plan to keep one A. rooster anyways to help provide my chicks for next year, I was just hoping I'd have a couple of hens out of this batch too. Thanks for taking a peek for me!

ETA: One of the "big combs" has a tiny puffy tail, the other one with a comb has an actual feathered tail starting?

 

[dianaross77]

Well, if it's straight run you're odds would be 2 boys 2 girls. I did toy with the idea of ordering 15 pullets and growing them out for a few weeks and then keeping a few that look the girliest. It would be cheaper than placing an order through mypetchicken for 3. Even if I have to give them away, it would still be cheaper.

 

[little blue]

3rd pic looks like a hen and the 4th pic looks like a roo and pic 6 looks like the one in the back is henish and the middle one looks roo i am not for sure though

 

[Tyandmacsmom]

The 3rd pic is "Kermie." The kids said it has "Kermit the Frog" eyes.

 

[dianaross77]

Quote:
That's cute. He does have kermit eyes.

 

[JodyJo]

Here are a couple of pics of my Australorps, they are all roos...this pic is from last year.
Not sure it will help you at all, you will have to wait a bit longer...you said
yours were 2 weeks old? They look about 3 days old in your pics.

Here is a pic later on, about 2 weeks...(I also have BR roos in the shot also)