Novice here looking for breed and gender info.

[Starkechickens]

Hello all, I'm rather new to chickens, and I was wondering if I could get some help identifying what breeds and genders of chickens I have. As you can see I bought a variety of breeds and ages. I bought from the seller, 1 Barred rock, 2 black Australorp, 1 Ameraucana, and 1 silki. They were sold as pullets, but I wonder at times about the barred rock. Again I'm new to this, so any information is appreciated. Thank you.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Knowing the age is helpful. The combs of both of the bigger ones look about the same color in the pictures. At 16 weeks you should see saddle feathers starting to show up on roosters. See what others say. I always say I'll know for sure when it crows or lays an egg.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Your barred bird is probably a rooster if it is less than 16 weeks of age, and may be a Black Sex Link male as the barring is not double (bird appears dark)...it might even be a Cuckoo Marans as the barring isn't crisp but more of a "cuckoo" (but leg color is a bit off...it should be more white/grey)...but it almost assuredly is male with that much comb at that gangly of age. If it is around 12 weeks of age, you've got a boy. It if is 16 to 18 weeks of age, then it could be a faster developing Barred Rock female.

Your white bird looks to be a Light Sussex. It might be a Delaware, but the legs should be more yellow if that breed.

I can believe you have 2 Australorps. Hard to tell at the age/stage. Could be Black Sex Links. If the beetle green sheen comes in, then they should be Australorps. Larger one looks female at this time. Can't see the younger one, and it would be too young anyway to tell yet. If any red bleed through comes in, they are Black Sex Link females.

I don't see an Ameraucana in the bunch. They all have single combs and are the wrong colors. Ameraucana should be pea comb, beard/muff, and one of the 8 standard colors for Ameraucana.

Amercauna hybrids, called Easter Eggers, can look almost like anything, but to be close enough to carry the blue shell gene, they should have some genetic resemblance to the Ameraucana parent. EE's are colored in many patterns.

All to say the white bird could have EE parentage, but it is white legged and single comb. More likely it is just a Light Sussex or a young Delaware wherein the yellow pigment hasn't colored the legs yet (which can vary with the amount of laying...or hormonal changes).

Many roosters don't get saddle feathers until 5 to 6 months of age. They can have saddles by 16 weeks, but many don't. It depends upon the breed.

You should know soon with the older birds. Crowing or laying.
LofMc

 

[drumstick diva]

x 2

 

[Starkechickens]

Thanks for the information. I wonder about the barred one, it's heavy for it's size and rather brave.

The large black one has the beetel green shimmer starting. I wonder if it could be a jersey giant? She had a few of them as well.
Any way to tell with Silkies?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Look at the bottom of the feet on the larger black one. If it is Jersey, it should have yellow foot pads and possibly some hint of yellow on toe edges. If any other color (no hint of yellow), then it shouldn't be a Jersey.

Jersey's will mature more slowly but be obviously bigger than other breeds.

As to the Silkie...well, the certain answer is to ask another Silkie. They know.

The complicated answer for us humans is that they are hard to sex. Sometimes you have to wait for an egg or crow.

Guidelines are as follows:
Squattier, more tear dropped shaped, crest more like a pom pom, very small to hardly any comb and wattles...female

Lankier, taller, crest like a mohawk, noticeable comb and wattles (can get rather large and red)....male.

LofMc