Black Australorp.. Pullet or Cockerel?? Help!

[acdorminy]

Hi All! I’ve got 3 12-13 week olds, one being a black australorp whom I’ve got a sinking feeling is a male.. “She” (for now) does not have a very developed comb or wattle but stands nearly an inch taller than my laying hens ( Welsummers and Rhode Island Reds) and the other pullets ( Wyandotte and Barred Rock) and normally walks with a very erect neck and tail.. of course for some reason has her tail down in nearly every picture I managed to get. I’ve not seen any rooster-ish behavior, in fact “she” is extremely shy. I’m pretty new to chickens, and really have no idea other than my gut feeling based on what I’ve read from others asking for identification. We can’t have any roosters where we live, and we are already culling a few girls this weekend (by gifting to someone else who is doing the dirty work..I just can’t, but that’s beside the point). Please help ASAP! Does “he” go or does “she” stay??

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Right now nothing other than the stance says 'cockerel'. Have a plan B in mind but do not get rid of the bird until male specific feathering or crowing appear.

 

[KikiLeigh02]

That's a tough one! I would lean toward cockerel, definitely wait for male feathering to come in to be sure. Did you get your bird from a breeder or a hatchery?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Pullet

 

[Frazzemrat1]

What color are the foot bottoms?
I'm going with pullet for now. If it were a cockerel, I would expect the comb and wattles to be much larger.

 

[acdorminy]

What color are the foot bottoms?
I'm going with pullet for now. If it were a cockerel, I would expect the comb and wattles to be much larger.

I’m having trouble nearing “her” at the moment (seriously the shyest chicken ever) to look at foot bottoms.. what should I be looking for when I do? My other girls run up to me and take food out of my hands and watch everything I do, this bird has always been very standoffish even though I’ve had/handled her since she was a day old
I have seen several pictures of cockerels at this age who have combs/wattles as large as my hens, so agree that is off here. When would “male” feathering appear if it were to?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

You can wait till they're in bed and get her off a roost, and then have a look.

White foot bottoms is an austrolorp. Yellow is a black jersey giant...

At her age, this is what I'm looking for in the feathering.

 

[acdorminy]

Ok! She/he definitely has white feet.

 

[PattyNH]

Looks like a pullet to me...

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

hmm.. I would wait it out, I think I see male feathering, and that is a strange stance, but on the other hand most boys would be crowing right now and have lots more comb development. ill go with pullet.. at least for now.