Is my Australorp a pullet or a roo???

[MyBlackHen]

Hi everyone,
I'm hoping one of you knowledgeable BYC folks can help me figure out if my Australorp pullet is really a roo? She is 7 weeks old. A lot of you say things like "I see roo" and I don't quite know what you are looking at! I know it depends on the breed, etc. What should I look for in an Australorp? Her tail feathers stand up straighter than the other pullets that I have; that is why I am wondering if she is a he. Here are some pictures:

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[FRlEDeggs]

My 7 wk old australorp's tail feathers are super long and stick up straight too

I'd like to know if that means rooster, so I'm someone knowledgeable will chime in!

To me, he/she looks pullety so far

 

[Lbrad7]

At 7 weeks its really hard to tell but you have to compare it to your other birds. It looks like it has some really thick shanks. If they are thicker than your other birds I would bet its a roo. I am wondering if that is actually an Australorp. I have raised them for years and never had one with that white ticking in the feathers, even in chicks. I know Black Giants can have white mixed in until their final chick molt but it looks like it doesn't have those dark brown eyes of the Giants. Do your other chicks have that white mixed in?

 

[pontoosuc]

I have 3 Australorps (8 weeks) and they look just like your chick!

I'm no expert, but I did order pullets, and I'm hoping that's what they are.

Very nice birds!!

 

[dinahmoe]

it's a girl

 

[Lbrad7]

I can tell you one thing for sure...you are going to Love Love Love the breed! They are laying machines and they have very sweet personalities.

 

[peepswiththepoof]

I say, girl.

 

[MyBlackHen]

Quote:
This is the only Australorp pullet that I have so I don't have any others to compare to (in terms of the white feathers mixed in). I ordered her from mypetchicken.com so I sure hope she's an Australorp! I will have to go out tomorrow to compare her shanks to the others - (you mean her legs, right? LOL). She is not the largest of the pullets that I have - the other breeds that I have are Barred Rocks, White Rocks, RIRs, and Easter Eggers. I don't know if Australorps in general are larger or smaller than those breeds?

She is so pretty - I sure hope she ends up being a she! She's the prettiest of all my birds.

 

[Lbrad7]

I'm sure she is an Australorp and the shanks are the legs. LOL They are mature to about the same size as your RIR and like the RIR they lay non stop. My experience with them is that if you pay attention to them and hold them they become really attached to you. We had one for years named Gertrude or Gertie that would chase the car to the house when we got home like a loyal dog. She slept on the carport every night and I even put her a nesting box out there. She became a part of the family. Long story short...you are going to love that bird! LOL

 

[sprawli]

Australorps are generally smaller that other breeds, but still lay quite a few eggs, comparatively. Ours is smaller than all of our other pullets except our Hamburg.

I vote pullet! You may not be able to tell for certain for a few more weeks, however. I would look for what are called saddle feathers because that is where you would put the saddle if you rode a chicken. If they are pointed, roo - if they are rounded, pullet. I have read that you usually can't tell until around 12 weeks, however. But I still vote pullet!