6 Week Old Australorp Sexing

[Waterfaery]

I can't believe it!

@Sammi_0411 and @Chickengirl2671 If you're both right, that will give me 3 hens and 10 cockerels in total out of 24 eggs (13 hatched).

 

[LavenderDaFlerf]

I can't believe it!

@Sammi_0411 and @Chickengirl2671 If you're both right, that will give me 3 hens and 10 cockerels in total out of 24 eggs (13 hatched).

Ouch. Keep the nicest and the the others into stew.

 

[Sammi_0411]

This cept I'm a soppy sod and would rehome them as I don't eat my own chickens lol xx

Ouch. Keep the nicest and the the others into stew.

 

[Sussex19]

@3KillerBs I think you are good at sexing Australorps?

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[3KillerBs]

@3KillerBs I think you are good at sexing Australorps?

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Not as good as some people, but gaining experience with Australorps and Australorp crosses. I find it a little easier with these birds to do them early because there's a muddly period in between about 6 and 10 weeks when I find them more confusing than at 4-5 weeks.

Can anyone please help sex these eight Australorp chicks? They will be 6 weeks old tomorrow. They are all named after their leg band colours, apart from the one called Kari.

White made himself known at about 3 weeks and I'm fairly sure green and yellow are cockerels as well but would love some other opinions on all of them. I have no idea about the other five but let's hope they are hens. My other five chicks are Light Sussex and I'm 99% certain there are four cockerels and one hen so I'm hoping the Australorps give me better luck!

View attachment 3210223

Male

View attachment 3210224

Female? Maybe suspect.

View attachment 3210225

Undetermined. Size of comb suggests *maybe* female, but pretty pink.

View attachment 3210226

Female.

View attachment 3210227

Female.

View attachment 3210228

Probably male.

View attachment 3210229

Male.

View attachment 3210230

Female.

I can't believe it!

@Sammi_0411 and @Chickengirl2671 If you're both right, that will give me 3 hens and 10 cockerels in total out of 24 eggs (13 hatched).

I could be wrong. It @Overo Mare corrects me she's probably right and I'm probably wrong.

Sometimes a hatch is very far from 50-50. I have only 2 out of 7 girls from my Olive eggers and lost one of them to a hawk.

 

[Painted Calls]

Other than White, only other ones that look like potential cockerels are Green and Yellow. Post updated pics of those in 2 more weeks.

Do you have a thread going for your Sussex chicks? They can comb up early too.

 

[Waterfaery]

Other than White, only other ones that look like potential cockerels are Green and Yellow.

Well, I really hope you're right! I was a bit worried at the prospect of nearly all of them being cockerels.

I had read that the cockerels' combs would start to go pink by 6 weeks so I had been quite hopeful about the other five since their combs are still so pale. The three that I think are cockerels (white, green and yellow) have had the pink colour for a long time.

They have also been acting like cockerels and have even had some fights where all three of them had bloody combs. I was a bit shocked because I didn't think they'd fight so young. Thankfully they only did it for a couple of days and seem to have their ranking settled now. Interestingly, they kept it within their own breed even though the two breeds are all together. They didn't dare challenge the Light Sussex cockerels who are much bigger and clearly the main bosses. The other 5 Australorps have kept right out of it and seem uninterested in the rooster pecking order. Could they just be slow developing and still start to turn pinker and act more feisty in the next couple of weeks?

Post updated pics of those in 2 more weeks.

Thanks, I will do that.

Do you have a thread going for your Sussex chicks? They can comb up early too.

I don't but I'm quite confident about the Light Sussex myself. I know they are only 6 weeks old but the difference between them is very obvious in every way (leg size, body size, comb, wattles, head shape, colouring, behaviour). They seem to be maturing very early. There are four definite cockerels and one that I'm 99.9% sure is a hen.

The four Light Sussex cockerels have also been fighting but not in a vicious way like the Australorps. They have a lot of stand offs where they circle each other with the necks bent low and then they jump kick each other, ninja style! It's quite funny to watch while they're so young and not actually hurting each other. They also don't bother challenging the Australorp cockerels but they do sometimes give them a hard peck on the back to keep them in their place. They don't do it to the Light Sussex hen or to any of the five other Australorps that aren't definite cockerels.

 

[Waterfaery]

Sometimes a hatch is very far from 50-50. I have only 2 out of 7 girls from my Olive eggers and lost one of them to a hawk.

So sorry to hear that.

 

[Painted Calls]

Well, I really hope you're right! I was a bit worried at the prospect of nearly all of them being cockerels.

I had read that the cockerels' combs would start to go pink by 6 weeks so I had been quite hopeful about the other five since their combs are still so pale. The three that I think are cockerels (white, green and yellow) have had the pink colour for a long time.

They have also been acting like cockerels and have even had some fights where all three of them had bloody combs. I was a bit shocked because I didn't think they'd fight so young. Thankfully they only did it for a couple of days and seem to have their ranking settled now. Interestingly, they kept it within their own breed even though the two breeds are all together. They didn't dare challenge the Light Sussex cockerels who are much bigger and clearly the main bosses. The other 5 Australorps have kept right out of it and seem uninterested in the rooster pecking order. Could they just be slow developing and still start to turn pinker and act more feisty in the next couple of weeks?



Thanks, I will do that.



I don't but I'm quite confident about the Light Sussex myself. I know they are only 6 weeks old but the difference between them is very obvious in every way (leg size, body size, comb, wattles, head shape, colouring, behaviour). They seem to be maturing very early. There are four definite cockerels and one that I'm 99.9% sure is a hen.

The four Light Sussex cockerels have also been fighting but not in a vicious way like the Australorps. They have a lot of stand offs where they circle each other with the necks bent low and then they jump kick each other, ninja style! It's quite funny to watch while they're so young and not actually hurting each other. They also don't bother challenging the Australorp cockerels but they do sometimes give them a hard peck on the back to keep them in their place. They don't do it to the Light Sussex hen or to any of the five other Australorps that aren't definite cockerels.

Just keep in mind that behavior is not a good indication of gender.

Looking forward to an update!

 

[Waterfaery]

Just keep in mind that behavior is not a good indication of gender.

Looking forward to an update!

Of course, but it is interesting in combination with the physical features. So far, the ones that look like definite cockerels also act like cockerels. The one that looks like a definite hen (the Light Sussex) also acts like a hen.

We will have to wait and see with the others!

I'll definitely post an update.