Black Australorp & Silver-Laced Wyandottes - hens or roosters?

[fl-chicken-tender]

Hi there,

My chicks are six weeks old and finally out of my house! They're feathering out and starting to look like real chickens instead of half-baked muppets.

Some of them are starting to develop combs and wattles, and I'm a bit concerned about my SLWs in particular - is it normal for their combs to come in red this early, or do I have 3 surprise roosters on my hands? The attached pictures are three different birds, all named Bubba. I numbered them to help tell them apart.

We also have one Black Australorp who has a bigger comb than our other two 'lorps and wattles under its beak. We did order one rooster of this breed, so I'm hoping this is Gomez, the one roo we wanted.

Thank you so much for answering all my questions! This is my first time with chicks, and I appreciate your advice & support.

 

[3KillerBs]

That SLW is definitely female.

Gomez the Black Australorp has started to get beautiful green tail feathers, and I can feel on his legs where spurs are starting to come in.

Green sheen on black birds is a product of the feather's structure and is seen on both male and females.

Some females also have spurs (I had a Java with spurs almost as good as the rooster's).

What you are looking for is the male-specific pointed saddle feathers:

They can be hard to see on young black birds so put a hand or a piece of paper under them to get a good look at the true shape:

At 12 weeks I'd expect to be able to see them in an Australorp, but you might have to part the other feathers to see them coming in.

 

[Painted Calls]

Australorp is 100% a cockerel. He has visible saddle feathers
View attachment 3384721

Golly I still can't see them. I'm assuming the white is shine on one of them?

 

[3KillerBs]

and I'm a bit concerned about my SLWs in particular - is it normal for their combs to come in red this early, or do I have 3 surprise roosters on my hands?

Yes, actually, it is VERY common for Wyandotte pullets to pink up early and frighten their owners into thinking that they're cockerels.

At their next molt any actual males *might* begin to show their sex-specific feathering -- particularly the white wing bows. Or they might not show up quite yet. Or you could have one like my Piccata, a pullet with poor-quality lacing that mimicked a male's wing bow (she ended up laying eggs, not crowing).

Wyandottes are notoriously deceptive and frustrating this way.

We also have one Black Australorp who has a bigger comb than our other two 'lorps and wattles under its beak. We did order one rooster of this breed, so I'm hoping this is Gomez, the one roo we wanted.

He does indeed look like a male. When did his comb show up? Many of my Australorp boys are clearly male at 3-4 weeks.

 

[fl-chicken-tender]

4 is a roo, and I believe 3 is as well. 1 and 2 may be pullets but I'm not fully sure about 2. Do you have a side photo of 3?

Thank you! I'll post pics tomorrow, if I can figure out which bird is which
Might need to invest in a couple leg bands.

 

[sourland]

'For now' the Wyandottes look like pullets. The Australorp is likely a cockerel.

 

[Painted Calls]

That SLW is definitely female.



Green sheen on black birds is a product of the feather's structure and is seen on both male and females.

Some females also have spurs (I had a Java with spurs almost as good as the rooster's).

What you are looking for is the male-specific pointed saddle feathers:

View attachment 3384684

They can be hard to see on young black birds so put a hand or a piece of paper under them to get a good look at the true shape:

At 12 weeks I'd expect to be able to see them in an Australorp, but you might have to part the other feathers to see them coming in.

Agreed! That BA may need more time and pics. Those wattles are huge though.

 

[Rhodebar Lover]

Updating at 12 weeks - I'm pretty sure you're right.

The SLWs look like pullets to me. I attached a picture of one of them, even with the leg bands I have trouble telling them apart.

Gomez the Black Australorp has started to get beautiful green tail feathers, and I can feel on his legs where spurs are starting to come in. He's not trying to crow yet, but give him time.
View attachment 3384655View attachment 3384656

Australorp is 100% a cockerel. He has visible saddle feathers

 

[Painted Calls]

Yep! The ones with the sheen are saddles! I traced them because it's hard to see in black birds
View attachment 3384731

Thanks for considering us blind folks!

 

[fl-chicken-tender]

That SLW is definitely female.



Green sheen on black birds is a product of the feather's structure and is seen on both male and females.

Some females also have spurs (I had a Java with spurs almost as good as the rooster's).

What you are looking for is the male-specific pointed saddle feathers:

View attachment 3384684

They can be hard to see on young black birds so put a hand or a piece of paper under them to get a good look at the true shape:

At 12 weeks I'd expect to be able to see them in an Australorp, but you might have to part the other feathers to see them coming in.

Thank you for the info!
I wasn't able to get pictures because I picked him up to take a better look, but he's got pointy saddle feathers.
Also looking at Gomez next to Morticia (a BA that I'm 99% sure is a pullet), the difference in their comb/wattles is really striking.