5 week old chicks any roos??

[newchick39]

Here are my chicks at 5 weeks old seeing if any look like roosters. Also my black australorp has a swollen chest im new to raising chickens is this normal??

1. Barred rock xia

2. Speckled sussex pork chop

3. Black australorp oreo see her chest is pretty swollen

4. Light brahma yolkie

5. Easter egger Chica

6. Buttercup duma

 

[Kaitlynn679]

Xia might be a rooster but it's still pretty early to tell

 

[Serenity06]

1 through 5 look to be pullets, but it's still early. Not sure about 6, and sorry I can't help with the swollen crop :/

 

[BusyBearMama]

Is the chest swollen or is his crop just full, once my birds gourged themselves on watermelon and I thought their crops would explode I think I posted here actually lol. Anyway at this age unless they're standing and unless they have obvious rooster signs it's very hard to tell gender. Easter eggers are very tough in my opinion to tell... But all of mine have ended up being female, I've accumulated 11 I think and I've noticed they're all pretty confident and between 4-6 months start laying and then it's pretty obvious. Let's see... The light brahma is a slower developing breed than some so it's a little tough to tell with them too, they're massive chicks in my opinion. My light brahma is broody right now much to my delight, we are going to put her on some eggs today. I think your Sussex is a pullet just because I have a while coop of them and they're all hens and this bird looks just like they did at that age and I feel like the roosters might be showing some reddening of the comb already but that's just in my head I think- another slow growing breed. The barred rocks the makes have wider white between the black in most cases but I only have two so no an expert... Though I have lots of Dominique's and the barring follows the same rules. I've never kept australorps but it's still so early... I'm going to guess these are all pullets though keep a special eye on that ee and watch their behaviour more than anything at this age. You'll know for sure soon!

 

[newchick39]

I think swollen because it has been like that for 2 days. Ive noticed some of the others will look swollen but then the next day have gone down. She is still eating and drinking and acting normal. What should i look for you mentioned rooster signs?They are all pretty sweet chica the easter egger is a little scared of being picked up by anyone else but me. They all have started hopping on each other every once in while is that a sign of dominance or rooster?

 

[newchick39]

Also thank you to everyone thats replying this site is pretty awesome. I can put pictures of them standing up latter today if that will help

 

[Serenity06]

Also thank you to everyone thats replying this site is pretty awesome. I can put pictures of them standing up latter today if that will help

That would help. Cockerels have bigger, redder combs and waddles, thicker legs, and later they develop pointed saddle and hackle feathers.

 

[BusyBearMama]

That would help. Cockerels have bigger, redder combs and waddles, thicker legs, and later they develop pointed saddle and hackle feathers.

I agree with these being good indicators, as far as them jumping on each other that can be normal for either, I only have 4 grown roosters at the moment but they are the ones who do that and did it most, also at a point they really crow... One of mine at like 6? Weeks was trying very hard and one of mine does not crow, he doesn't, he mounts the ladies and I'm doing fertility checks now but some roosters oddly don't so it's not science. My other guy is 8+ months old maybe 9? And he just started last month. He's getting his hens soon and is actually becoming kind of annoying lol. They usually have amazing posture like very tall. As far as the swollen crop goes it might just be a very full crop, the crip fills, food breaks down and goes to the digestive tract and so on. Keep an eye on it though :-/

 

[newchick39]

I tried to get a couple standing up photos but they are very active right now so not the best

 

[newchick39]

Im not seeing any red yet on any of the combs xia has a little pink but not much im hoping that is good my EEgger has a small yellow looks to be single comb