HELP!!!

[chicken86]

Hi all we are new to this website but the forums helped us through incubating 4 eggs we hatched not long ago. We went to a breeder and she told us the father was a rhode island red and the mother was an Australorp (we've only ever had normal sussex or rhode island red females) so we'd thought wed mix it up a bit. My question is why are they so big??? They are only 21/2 weeks old and they are huge. Is it the sex or the breed? Would anyone be able to help us in determining what sex they are and what breed they are exactly because the white one and the black are very different. If any are males I will send them to my uncles farm within the next couple of weeks but would be great if someone would know the gender of all 3. Hope the photos help

 

[BantamLover21]

Hi all we are new to this website but the forums helped us through incubating 4 eggs we hatched not long ago. We went to a breeder and she told us the father was a rhode island red and the mother was an Australorp (we've only ever had normal sussex or rhode island red females) so we'd thought wed mix it up a bit. My question is why are they so big??? They are only 21/2 weeks old and they are huge. Is it the sex or the breed? Would anyone be able to help us in determining what sex they are and what breed they are exactly because the white one and the black are very different. If any are males I will send them to my uncles farm within the next couple of weeks but would be great if someone would know the gender of all 3. Hope the photos help First of all,

Your chicks are rather large for 2 1/2 weeks, but size is not generally an indicator of gender. However, comb/wattle development is.

This bird looks like a cockerel. It is rare that 2 1/2 week old pullets have the beginnings of wattles, and such thick legs.



I'm not sure about the gender of the black chick on the right.

This chick also looks like a cockerel. Again, the comb/wattle development is a lot for 2 1/2 weeks of age.

 

[sumi]

Welcome to BYC

Glad you joined us! Give them another 3-4 weeks and post individual pics here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/15/what-breed-or-gender-is-this

 

[liz9910]

Welcome to BYC! x2 on Sumi's advice, good luck to you.

 

[chicken86]

We would be gutted if all 3 were roosters. The large black one is hands down a male but the other 2 I thought maybe their breed was why they are so big.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Heed Sumi's advice.

 

[redsoxs]

Howdy from Kansas, Chicken86, and

! Great to have you aboard! Fine looking chicks!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! Happy you joined!

 

[drumstick diva]

Is there any chance they are older than 2 1/2 weeks? They have a lot of feathers for chicks so young.

 

[ederob]

Hi all we are new to this website but the forums helped us through incubating 4 eggs we hatched not long ago. We went to a breeder and she told us the father was a rhode island red and the mother was an Australorp (we've only ever had normal sussex or rhode island red females) so we'd thought wed mix it up a bit. My question is why are they so big??? They are only 21/2 weeks old and they are huge. Is it the sex or the breed? Would anyone be able to help us in determining what sex they are and what breed they are exactly because the white one and the black are very different. If any are males I will send them to my uncles farm within the next couple of weeks but would be great if someone would know the gender of all 3. Hope the photos help

Roo.



The black one on the right MIGHT be a hen.

This one looks like a roo to.