How old are these chicks??

[Nancerina]

Last week (8/5/14), I purchased six Black Copper Marans chicks from a breeder in Pueblo, CO. She said, "We had one batch hatch June 20th and the other batch hatched July 10th so it is possible" that some are younger than others.

Still, having purchased RIR pullets last year & being told that they were 8 weeks old, these new chicks seem very small. I'm concerned about putting them in with the mature hens too early!

In the following "portraits", the chicks are in a kitty-litter bucket with a 10-inch ruler for scale:

How old would you say they really are, and any guesses on gender?




Thanks for your help!

 

[BantamLover21]

In my opinion, the chicks look about 5-6 weeks old. And as of right now, they all look like pullets. However, it is a little young to tell for sure.

 

[Nancerina]

Thank you! It does help to be reassured that I'm not out of my mind