Black Australorp.... pullets or cockerel??

[Kev]

wow seems like a year to avoid australorps... agree all posted so far are cockerels. Lots of roo feathers on their backs.

 

[ruralchicken78]

I was always told amd by doing research, you can't go by combs amd wattles for Australorps because hens have very large, red ones too. With time, the roosters will be bigger though.

 

[junebuggena]

I was always told amd by doing research, you can't go by combs amd wattles for Australorps because hens have very large, red ones too. With time, the roosters will be bigger though.

Yes, MATURE hens will have red combs. But pullets don't start to pink up until they are getting close to egg laying. At 12 weeks, pullets still have a few months of growing and maturing. And Australorp hens, as a general rule, don't have particularly large combs.
At that age, with combs that red, and with such visible male specific feathering, your's are boys.

 

[Kev]

I was always told amd by doing research, you can't go by combs amd wattles for Australorps because hens have very large, red ones too. With time, the roosters will be bigger though.

and adding to that- sometimes way too much is made of comb/wattles while not mentioning much about other traits.

In your second picture there are definite rooster type feathers already present on the mid-back and towards the tail.

It just happens you got both males, the difference would be more convincing to you if one was female.

 

[bobbi-j]

So this is a cockerel?! The chicken is a bully and so is the other Black australorp, Neither crows but they intimidate my Easter Egger Rooster and go face to face with each other with heads down and neck feathers all out.

What you described here is very cockerel-like behavior.

Both are very well developed cockerels. Very clearly visible male saddle feathers and very red combs.

The three black birds in this picture are Australorp pullets, age 12 weeks. Just look at the difference in the combs and the back feathers.

When you have one of each sex, it's very clear which is which at this age. I have both BA pullets and cockerels, and my pullets look like the ones pictured here.

Yes, MATURE hens will have red combs.

 

[ruralchicken78]

Well these guys need a new home then lol we can't have roosters in town. I can't post them on the bst forum because I don't have 20 posts. We live in Iowa, any takers? They are free!!

 

[HappyClucker7]

All of them are cockerels

 

[henhustler]

So I'm thinking this 15 week old is a roo, too, yes?

 

[junebuggena]

So I'm thinking this 15 week old is a roo, too, yes?

Cockerel for sure.

 

[ruralchicken78]

Just wanted to stop back in and let everyone know, my two ended up being pullets and are now laying eggs, AFTER we rehomed them!

Those of you still questioning like I was, just wait it out, there is still hope!