Age? And for fun...gender? PIC Heavy!

[Jeffross1968]

I answered an ad a couple weeks ago on CL from a guy who now claims to have "hundreds and hundreds of healthy guaranteed chicks". When I got there, he had quite a few huddled in an old lean to. He claimed at the time they were 12 weeks old. I had a hard time believing that, because they were quite small. Almost every chick had pretty bad feather picking going on near it's tail. My brain screamed at me to get out of there, but my heart wouldn't let me leave without a few. Ended up picking out the 4 you'll see in pictures below. Because of their size, our guess is that either he was lying about the size, or they were malnourished. He also claimed they are all pullets. Who knows. My feelings for their conditions took over and I just grabbed four of them. This was two weeks ago, and they've been in a small coop separated from the rest of my flock except for the last 2 days as they free range together, though...together may be too harsh of a word, LOL. They aren't doing much "together". But that takes time.

Anyway, I'd like to post a few pics and see what age you guys think they are. Also, if you have an opinion on gender, that would be great too!

On the rock is Opal, a Golden Comet

Opal in the front, Black Betty the Black Sex Link next to her, followed by Big Bertha the Black Jersey Giant, and finally Beatrice, supposedly an RIR...

Opal (BSL) and (Black Jersey Giant) Black Betty

Opal (Comet) and Beatrice (RIR) going their separate ways....

 

[TroutsChicks]

6-7 weeks old

 

[Jeffross1968]

Really? That young? Grr....everyone agree?

 

[ruffedgrouse]

Quote:
My RIR's are 7 weeks old and they look very close in size to yours.

 

[Meghalu]

They seem a little more feathered out then 6 to 7 to me, especially on the dark ones (but I'm not an expert!). I would guess maybe 9 or 10? If they really are 12, I would agree they are undernourished. Everyone looks pretty hennish to me as well (again, not an expert!).

 

[chickenbuttsowhat]

i would say about 10 weeks cuz they look just a lil bit bigger then my 7 week old chicks also Opal and Beatrice both look kind of roo ish cuz their combs r a lil bigger and red but could just be me not that great at sexing at that age if i could seen their wings when they was first hatch i could give u a deff answer lol

 

[afj6710]

I'm guessing about 8 weeks, just from my short experience with chickens and all that I've seen on here.

That was really sweet of you to "rescue" those babies, though!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Well that would certainly throw my schedule off a little bit, but they are great little birds, so I'm not disappointed. Unless I end up with some roos....

 

[TroutsChicks]

Mine are fixing to hit 10 weeks old and they are smooth and fully feathered, no fuzz at all! at 8 weeks they only had small fuzz balls at the end of their feathers on their heads. They have fuzz and patchy feathers. They will be great, they just need lots of love!

 

[cbrown86]

I have a black sex link named Black Betty too! She is the one on the left. She's older now, the pic was about 2 mos ago.