Gender Question Black Australorp

[Sagenovese]

Hi folks,

I bought some chicks from a hatchery in August when I think their chicken sexer might have been on vacation. I bought 5 chicks and 1 died a few days after arrival. Of the remaining four, that were all supposed to be hens, I am pretty sure they sent me two roosters.

Oddly, no matter how many pictures I send to them or even with a video, they continue to tell me that one is a hen when I am sure it is not. Two are Black Australorp and I believe I have on hen and one roo. They are very different. One popped big bright red comb and wattle at 6 weeks and continued to rise well above and below it's head. The feathers come to points which I asked the hatchery about but they ignored my question and simply answered again, that it is a hen. I am either crazy, their ID expert is wrong, or perhaps the hatchery simply tells them to say it is a hen to confuse the customer. I am not sure. Their repeated responses that it is a hen has me wondering if I could be wrong.

So, I would love honest opinions. If I am wrong, I will certainly admit it. I will have to wait to get pix of my female and male side by side because they are separated and I won't be able to get to the female until I let them out in the evening so that they go into my large coop where I can get to her. My tractor coop, where she lives now, makes her nearly impossible to access.

So, for now, I can send pix of the "male" as he lives in my house to tame for a friend and also for his photo shoots.

I can take plenty more pix. Note the saddle feathers coming in above the wings... they are pointy. In my mind, they are the dead give away. Can you see that in the pix? Can hens have pointy saddle feathers?

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Thanks for helping me here.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

That is definitely a rooster! I would not order from them again, and make sure and tell them so! They shouldn't be selling birds if eh can't even tell if they are roosters or hens! Especially when they are grown up! If they can't tell on a grown chicken, who knows if they even sex their chicks!!

 

[junebuggena]

At 3 months of age, with a comb that well developed, definitely a cockerel. The male specific hackle and saddle feathers are just further confirmation.

 

[sourland]

In total agreement - unquestionably a cockerel.

 

[venymae]

That would be male male male! I would at this point ask for a refund, at least on this bird. Feel free to screen shot this thread and send it to them

 

[Sagenovese]

Thanks everyone! I feel validated. It is more principal now than money. I have started wondering if they are trained to deny so as not to reimburse for their 90% sex guarantee. On principal, I seriously question whether I will ever order from them again. I realized that I didn't tell you these pix are combo of 11 and 12 weeks old. These are the same pix that I sent to the hatchery over the last few weeks. He is now 13 weeks and just keeps looking more and more rooster to me.

 

[rebrascora]

As others have said, he is definitely a cockerel and I think you have been very gracious in not naming the hatchery on an international forum and damaging their reputation. Hopefully they will be equally gracious in accepting their mistake when you send them a link to this thread.
Good luck

 

[The Angry Hen]

Absolute no doubt that you have a nice looking Cockerel.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

cockerel

 

[21hens-incharge]

Oh boy. That as many others have already confirmed is a boy.

Any pics of the other Australorp?