Newbe question on BA's

[lindym]

My 5 Black Australorps (now 17 weeks) were supposed to all be pullets

, but one is now crowing, and 2 others look to be roos, having large, red combs and wattles plus pointed saddle feathers.

The other 2 have VERY small combs and wattles. One looks just like various pictures that I have pulled up, including short tails, but the other one has long tail feathers just like the roos.

Confused,
Linda

 

[giasmom]

Can you post some pics ?

 

[fordmommy]

I wasn't very sure about my BA at first either. Mine has very big red comb and wattles too. But she started laying Thursday. Post pics and we can tell you for sure.

 

[lindym]

I'll see if I can get some good pics tomorrow and try and post them. We just moved the 2 smaller roos back in with the hens as Big Boy, the other BA roo is terrorizing them. They may end up in separate cages until they are big enough for dinner.

What features would you be able to see in pictures?

Linda

 

[lindym]

Got a couple of shots through the wire:

I think these are both roos. They are not bothering the hens too much, yet

I think this is a hen but from the pictures I have found, the tail seems long.

They are all 17 weeks old. Of the same batch we have one more roo that is crowing and one more (probably) hen, looks like the one above but with a short tail.

Thanks for your help

Linda

 

[fordmommy]

Uh oh. Those are cockerals. You see how the tail feathers are long? And they have saddle feathers. I'll show you my cockerals. They have very obvious saddle feathers. Saddle feathers are the long pointy feathers that are where the back and tail meet.





This is my BA. I took this about two weeks ago. See. Short tail feathers and no pointy saddle feathers.


I hope this helps.

 

[aestus_lux]

yep, both roosters

 

[lindym]

Yeah, I knew the two in the top pic were, just hoping the 2nd pic was a hen! Bought 5 "pullets" and we MAY have 1

First off there won't be eggs and secondly I DON'T want roosters

Linda

 

[lindym]

So is this common for chickens of the exact same age to be in such different stages of development? Why does the chicken in my second pic have such small comb and wattles. This is what is throwing me.

. One of the roos I haven't shown (same age 17 weeks) is HUGH and very developed!

Linda

 

[fordmommy]

Everyone grows at different pases. People and animals. Think of puppies. There's always a huge one and always a runt. Did your chickens come from the same parents even?

Don't feel too bad. My two cockerals were accidental too. I did see that someone was looking for BA roos in the Selling, Trading...sec. I don't know where they were from. You could also try craigslist. Or if you're not to close to them there's the 3rd option. They are a dual purpose breed. Yumm. Yumm.