Australorp chicks. Age and Gender?

[Matthew__]

We picked up some Australorp chicks and we are not sure of the age and gender. Any help would be great.

 

[redinator]

This young you can usually get pretty close by looking at their wings and whether or not they have body feathers coming in.

At 3-4 days old chicks get tiny wing tips and start to flap a bit.
About 1 to 1 1/2 weeks old their wing will be half feathered
About 2 to 2 1/2 weeks wings are nearly fully feathered to completely feathered
About 2 1/2 to 3 weeks they start sprouting body feathers and look really ragged
About 4-5 weeks old they're mostly feathered with a few patches of down left
6 weeks fully feathered

Others might have a better timeline, but this is what I've seen with multiple chicks of varying breeds and crosses.

Judging by the pictures I'd guess 2 1/2 to 3 weeks old. #2 looks like it could be male, but I can't tell if the pink patch under the beak is part of the beak or wattles coming in

 

[Matthew__]

Thank you for all that information. Appreciate it. I am hoping they are all female, anyway, time will tell.

 

[Matthew__]

I have also noticed some green shine on number 2s new feathers coming through. Would this indicate a male too?

 

[redinator]

I have also noticed some green shine on number 2s new feathers coming through. Would this indicate a male too?

No any black feathers on a healthy chicken should have a green sheen to them.

ETA: I remember asking this same question when my black sex link pullets had shiny green feathers.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I agree with redinator that they're between 2-3 weeks old. I always assume pullets until you see something glaringly obvious. Chicks will fool you. I've had a few "definitely cockerels" that all turned out to be pullets (including Black Australorps). Enjoy! They're a great breed and typically very friendly.

 

[Matthew__]

Thanks for your reply. It’s their large comb ( for their age) that’s confusing me.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Thanks for your reply. It’s their large comb ( for their age) that’s confusing me.

I honestly don't think they look concerning. I'd expect them to stay at or around this level until around the 3-month mark, when even pullets can start to blush and grow little wattles.

 

[Matthew__]

Thank you. I will keep this post updated.