Anyone else with a 4 week old Black Australorp?

[AUChick9202]

All of the girls in my flock (RIR, BO, and EE) are pretty much feathered out at 4 weeks. My BA is also 4 weeks and is our surprise roo. His feathers are still coming in very spotty. Except for the comb and wattles, his head is still as fuzzy as the day we brought him home. His pic is my avatar. That was at 3 weeks, but he pretty much looks the same! Is it because he is a roo that the feathers are slower or is it just the breed? I would love to see pics of other aussies to compare

 

[gritsar]

I don't have that breed, but my baby roos of all the breeds I do have - brahma, turken, turken/brahma X, turken/EE X, have all feathered out slower.

 

[CowgirlMama]

I have 11 BAs that will be 5 weeks this weekend... and they all seem to be feathering out at the same rate... Although, my BRs, GSL and NHR are starting to get pinfeathers on their heads whereas my BAs haven't yet... I need to get new pics of all 39 of mine... so I'll try to post some today or tomorrow for you to compare to...

 

[LaurasLorps]

Quote:
My BA's will be three weeks tomorrow. They have really feathered in on their wings and tails, and I can see feathers starting to poke through on their necks and stomachs, but their heads are still as fuzzy as can be. They also have a stripe of fuzz down their backs. So far, mine have all feathered out at about the same rate (I only have 4 of them). I was beginning to suspect one was roo b/c it's comb is a little bigger and redder, but now that I see the pic of your roo at three weeks, I am thinking pullet! Which would be awesome because I love in city limits and can't keep roosters.

I am taking some new pics tomorrow and will try and post them here. Mine are a little younger than yours, but I figure the more to compare the better!

 

[mcjessen]

I have a BA girl. She just turned 5 wks.

She's 3 weeks in this picture.


She had a major feather growth spurt last week. Her neck and head feathers were coming in droves. She's still got little patches of baby feathers on her head, one wing feather on each side with white on the tip and some gray baby feathers in between her legs. Other than that, she's fully feathered at 5 weeks. Her comb has always been pale and you can just see her pink waddles coming in. More color than content. LOL!

 

[WriterChick]

I have 4 BA's almost 2 weeks old and the same age Buff Orpingtons (6 of them). Two of the Buffs have wing, tail, and "shoulder/neck" feathers, the others have wing feathers (all came in over the last weekend), while my Australorps have just gotten some of their wing feathers a day ago and one now has pin feathers on her back end. So even though I'm a newbie, I'm going to hazard a guess that they feather out more slowly??? (they also are my smallest birds).

 

[debid]

Mine is about that age. She (and I'm pretty sure on that) is almost completely feathered. She's just starting to get pins on her head now. Hardly slow to feather but I will say that the chest, back, and neck all came in just about simultaneously in week 3.

 

[AUChick9202]

Thanks for the replies. I was wondering if it was a BA thing or a roo thing.....maybe it is a combination of both