Any ideas for breed and gender?

[hbchicknmama]

These guys are about 4 1/2 months old now and I'm hoping they are both hens but thought I would come on here and check. No crowing but they make a noise that sounds like a dinosaur mixed with clucking. Lol. Anyways,
Any thoughts?

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[brit01]

The solid colored one on the left looks like an Australorp possibly, and the one on the right looks like she could be a barred rock pullet

 

[hbchicknmama]

Do you think the "Australorp" is a pullet?

 

[Cowgirl71]

Both are definitely pullets. Both appear to be mix breeds.

The first looks like probably an Australorp cross. I can't tell what kind of comb she has, but it's not "single" like a pure Australorp would have, and she also looks to have some red leakage near her face. So my guess would be Australorp crossed with something red or brown with a funky comb, such as a Partridge Chantecler.

The second bird I would guess to be a Barred Rock/Salmon Faverolle cross. She has the barring of the Barred Rock, and the muff/beard and sparsely feathered legs from the Faverolle.

 

[stevethack]

At 4 1/2 months the Australorp is a pullet. Unless it hasn't gotten near enough protein in it's life.
My Australorps at 17 weeks (about one week younger more/less then this one) have redder and bigger combs and wattles (my avatar pic is one) then this one on the left side. The other pullet is possibly a cross, but there are some really dark Barred Rocks...sometimes. It could be a cross just as likely.
And most of my pullets make some rather harsh gutteral sounds when they want attention or a treat and I didn't bring any out to them...especially the Barred Rock ladies...I think they scare my dog even.

 

[donrae]

I agree they're both pullets.

 

[hbchicknmama]

Now I'm freaked about the protein thing. They have always eaten really well and are currently on grower food.

 

[drumstick diva]

Both pullets and I do think the black has a lot of Australorp in her. Are they from a hatchery? Sometimes hatchery breeds can be purebred but the quality is lacking, making them look crossbred.

 

[hbchicknmama]

They were hatched in the classroom next to mine. We had no idea what they were and I brought 4 home. 2 ended up being cockerels and I was hoping these last 2 were pullets. Sounds like these last two are my girls!

 

[stevethack]

Actually, according to Hoyle, my chickens probably haven't had as high a protein level as they "should" have had for good development. I feed mostly TSC feed and they are one or two percentage points down from everyone else's starter/grower/finisher. That and they have been out in an enclosed pen since they were 4-5 weeks old. They got to scratch and play a lot and ate...ummmm..ahhh.. who knows what all of stuff... with far less then 20% protein levels. And would vastly prefer digging through a pile of fresh cut lawn clippings then hit the 5 gallon free choice feeder plumb full of the latest scientifically correct feed for a chicken!/and/or even the fermented feed I feed 3-5 times a week for all the good stuff in it................... But they are happy chik'ns!.
But mostly the point is...every bird will develop at it's own speed. And for sure there's a ton of difference between breeds of birds as to maturity speeds! Those birds look fairly healthy..and happy. I wouldn't worry about maturity speed differences until about 24 weeks old. My 1 week older Cinnamon Queens are lagging my Australorps by a bunch, their combs and wattles are not near as well developed....ditto for the Barred Rock pullets here. It's just the breed differences, and the individual bird.