I am needing some help with the gender.

[cdm624]

So I am new to the chicken thing and this is a one and only bird we have. My teenage son came home from the farm store with a chick. I am thinking about 15 -16 weeks old. I at first thought A female as I dont see longnpoint feathers in the neck region and no long curly tail in the saddle/tail. Does a lot of sitting but recently started to crow and become slightly more aggressive/ peck at us. However does a lot of clucking. Does have larger comb and wattle than other pictures I have seen but no more than 5 in the comb. I am finding black austrlorps are hard to sex in my research. From what I find combs and wattles vary in size in booth hen and cockrel, both can crow. Any help would be great.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Welcome to BYC!

It's a cockerel.. the feathers aren't flowing yet.. but they are pointy not rounded in the areas that count (saddle and hackle).. Putting your hand or a piece of white paper can make the shape more obvious when pattern is confusing.

Hens crow yes and grow spurs.. pullets not usually. Cockerels also sing the eggs song when startled or along with the ladies.

True about the Australorp often being harder to sex (females looking mature early) but my first statement trumps those.

That clucking may be what's known as tid bitting.. essentially treat calling to the ladies.

 

[Tookie]

Hello and welcome to BYC!
It is a cockerel.

 

[cdm624]

Welcome to BYC!

It's a cockerel.. the feathers aren't flowing yet.. but they are pointy not rounded in the areas that count (saddle and hackle).. Putting your hand or a piece of white paper can make the shape more obvious when pattern is confusing.

Hens crow yes and grow spurs.. pullets not usually. Cockerels also sing the eggs song when startled or along with the ladies.

True about the Australorp often being harder to sex (females looking mature early) but my first statement trumps those.

That clucking may be what's known as tid bitting.. essentially treat calling to the ladies.

Thank you for your help. Man, I was really hoping he was just sorely confused. Lol. I was hoping for eggs soon. Leave it to my son to pick a rooster when he decided he wanted a pet chicken without mom's permission. Lol

 

[Chicks in VA]

he needs a hen

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you for your help. Man, I was really hoping he was just sorely confused. Lol. I was hoping for eggs soon. Leave it to my son to pick a rooster when he decided he wanted a pet chicken without mom's permission. Lol

Some folks do keep roosters as pets.. Even more than one and together! They're great animals when they haven't gotten the wrong message and also when they aren't tasked with having to be protective. Some are great even when tasked with protection but it usually helps if they were brought up in an older flock.

Are you allowed to have roosters? Or thinking about keeping him? Also, what are you feeding him? (layer feed fed long term can cause issues to those not in lay)

Usually a single chicken regardless of gender is going to be a lonely chicken as they are very much social flock animals.


I personally would NOT add in a single hen as she will *probably* face over mating with a young virile cockerel. There are a multitude of possibilities on how to move forward.. depending on what your specific goals and needs are..

Craigslist farm and garden section is good place both to rehome or to acquire fresh additions. Buyer beware, KNOW your location.. many illnesses that effect poultry don't present right away and could take down an entire flock. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is currently effecting several parts of the US.

FWIW.. pecking at you is NOT aggression.. it could simply be grooming/getting bugs off you.

Early aggression looks *more* like dropping a wing and dancing at you.. or quickly running up from behind and pecking with a rapid retreat that makes you wonder if that even happened. Confined spaces might see a frontal attack.

Best wishes!

 

[cdm624]

Some folks do keep roosters as pets.. Even more than one and together! They're great animals when they haven't gotten the wrong message and also when they aren't tasked with having to be protective. Some are great even when tasked with protection but it usually helps if they were brought up in an older flock.

Are you allowed to have roosters? Or thinking about keeping him? Also, what are you feeding him? (layer feed fed long term can cause issues to those not in lay)

Usually a single chicken regardless of gender is going to be a lonely chicken as they are very much social flock animals.


I personally would NOT add in a single hen as she will *probably* face over mating with a young virile cockerel. There are a multitude of possibilities on how to move forward.. depending on what your specific goals and needs are..

Craigslist farm and garden section is good place both to rehome or to acquire fresh additions. Buyer beware, KNOW your location.. many illnesses that effect poultry don't present right away and could take down an entire flock. Highly pathogenic avian influenza is currently effecting several parts of the US.

FWIW.. pecking at you is NOT aggression.. it could simply be grooming/getting bugs off you.

Early aggression looks *more* like dropping a wing and dancing at you.. or quickly running up from behind and pecking with a rapid retreat that makes you wonder if that even happened. Confined spaces might see a frontal attack.

Best wishes!

He did dance on and peck my son a few times. He is more like this in the mornings or early evening. Overall he isnt "bad" we have thought about keeping him as long as he doesn't get too disruptive with crowing. We do live on outskirts of city limits. I am currently still feeding starter feed as a had read not to change feed until after 18 weeks. Then switch to layer feed if a hen or all flock feed if rooster. That was mainly my reasoning for reaching out on help seeing him. He was hand raised and in the house for several weeks, he is handled frequently/daily by me and my son. He is such a pretty bird.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

He did dance on and peck my son a few times. He is more like this in the mornings or early evening

That is their feistiest times of day for sure and probably a clear sign of some confusion. It should be directed at ladies and flock mates but he doesn't have that option. Things often escalate. Adding mates may alleviate OR exacerbate the issue, every chicken is an individual. Still, I do recommend against keeping him alone if at all possible.

Sometimes the hand raised ones are the worst for lack of fear aka respect for you or your personal space. Since your son is a teen, there is time to see how his (the cockerels) behavior develops. For young children the early signs would (should) be a deal breaker.

Your feed plan sounds good.. but you can use the starter until you run out of it without it being harmful to him. If or when you add layers, adding oyster shell free choice on the side is sufficient and still a good choice.

He is beautiful, I hope he matures into a well mannered rooster!