Black Australorp, how early can you tell gender?

[emorems0]

We hatched several BA eggs and now have four 2-week old chicks. One of the chicks has a much more pronounced comb than the others, one has a nearly non-existent comb, and the other two are sort of in between. I didn't really think that you could tell gender in BAs this early, so is it just that they are growing at slightly different rates? They pretty much all look the same in all other ways (size, shape, feathering out, etc.)

I have some photos, but this is more of a general question. How early can I expect to start seeing differences between male and female in black australorp chicks?

Melissa

 

[Basskids08]

Sometimes you can tell with the way they are feathering in. Boys are a lot slower to feather in than girls. If at 2 weeks ones comb is already pronounced than it's most likely a boy. Usually you can tell by 6-8 weeks old. Other than that it's a wait and see game.

 

[emorems0]

I was able to get a picture of three of them together... we started calling the one with the biggest comb Romeo (to go with my daughter's blue cochin "Juliet"). There is one more with a comb like the medium one in this picture.

 

[Basskids08]

The one is the middle is looking just like a little roo.

 

[Frizzlett]

The one is the middle is looking just like a little roo.

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