Australorp chicks 5 weeks

[SLChicks]

I have two 5 week old australorps. They seem to be developing much differently so I tried to get some pics of them next to each other. Any insight on gender would be so helpful! Thanks!

 

[SLChicks]

The one that struts around and just SEEMS like a boy to me, has a smaller comb and legs. I'm so confused!

 

[Acre4Me]

5-6 weeks is a bit young. I would expect some more differences in comb/wattles if they were different genders. At this point I wouldn't think either is a male, but comb differences will be showing soon if they are M/F, and by 12 weeks you should see saddle feathers if male.

We've raised BA, and have had one male BA (ordered specifically a male).

Here they are at 7 weeks old. Notice one female has some red in comb, but the male has a very obvious comb.

 

[SLChicks]

5-6 weeks is a bit young. I would expect some more differences in comb/wattles if they were different genders. At this point I wouldn't think either is a male, but comb differences will be showing soon if they are M/F, and by 12 weeks you should see saddle feathers if male.

We've raised BA, and have had one male BA (ordered specifically a male).

Here they are at 7 weeks old. Notice one female has some red in comb, but the male has a very obvious comb.
View attachment 2064421

Ok that's very helpful, thank you! Is it also fairly common for BA's tail feathers to vary like this? One's is so long and erect while the others is very short and bushy. That's what originally threw me off.

 

[Acre4Me]

Ok that's very helpful, thank you! Is it also fairly common for BA's tail feathers to vary like this? One's is so long and erect while the others is very short and bushy. That's what originally threw me off.

it can be just individual variation. I’ve seen the tail growth differences in another breed as chicks, but not enough chicks of both genders to say that it is a typical trait!

We have 3 female Marans and had 3 male Marans (sold those boys), and one female has a perpetually tail down stance. As in, not typical of a chicken profile, but nothing is wrong with her, her tail is just different! One of the male Marans looked like a soldier perpetually at attention -neck upright, tail very upright, and he’d even march in front of the pop door (hilarious in appearance but mean to the others bc he’d attack certain chickens trying to get in).

So, at this point it could just be a little slower in feathering For that chicken.

 

[Pretty Birds]

They both look like pullets. I would think by five weeks the males would have some red comb development.

 

[SLChicks]

Thank you, that's so good to hear! Well it's seeming like I might have lucked out and got 9/9 pullets from a feed store! I'm in shock lol!