Play date outside- Pictures!!! 4 weeks old :)

[katydidit]

Took my 4 girls outside to play in their soon-to-be run. They were HILARIOUS!!! Their behavior is sooo much different towards each other when they have more room to run

Chest bumping, bug chasing, and dust bathing galore!!

Delilah, my Delaware on the left. And Peggy and Wendy my EEs on the right

Oh my gaaaaa!! DIRT!! lol

I'm a bit worried about my black austrolorp "girl"- her stance is looking a bit roo-ish, and her tail feathers stand straight up- eek! Is it too soon to tell if "she" is a he... here's a photo:

Enjoy!!

 

[katydidit]

I forgot to mention, the austrolorp in question is seriously slow on feathering out as well- I've heard that this is also a sign of a roo. And when I mean slow to feather, she is almost a week and a half behind the other girls her age!! eek...

 

[smcjoj3]

They all look like they had a great day! Delilah makes me want to race and get some Delaware's! What a pretty bunch!

 

[Caliphe]

They're all gorgeous, but Delilah just looks so angelic! Love her!

 

[MamaHynne]

Sweet babies you got there! Thanks for sharing.

My Black Star pullet "Velvet" is seriously slow to feather as well. Looks a lot like yours! Right now, the family calls her Special Ed because she's so far behind the others. Hope she doesn't actually turn out to be a roo. I've all ready got 3 roos so far to re-home.

 

[Chocobroc]

I have a Austrolorp as well and she did not look like that at 4 weeks. She was fuller, fluffier (more feathers, and hen shaped). I hope I'm wrong, but she looks like a he. I have two White Rocks that are 4 weeks old and I'm pretty sure one is a he and his stance and feathering looks a lot like your Austrolorp. Good luck. My GG might just be Gustav

I'm no expert and it is still pretty early...

 

[catchthewind]

Does she/he have wattles yet? My Austrolorp was already very obviously a roo already at 4 weeks. Almost overnight he grew wattles and his comb turned red. I'm even brand new to chicks and I knew. This is the only picture I have of him at 4 weeks:



He's turning out to be a gorgeous bird now. Really wish he was a she!

 

[Celtic Chick]

I have 2 5-week old Aussie pullets that look identical to her, so hopefully that is just how those gals look. I hope!

 

[katydidit]

Thanks for the compliments on miss delilah! She is my favorite (shh, dont tell the others!! lol)... she is the most loving little chook too- as soon as i pick her up, she hops up on my shoulder and goes to sleep

I'm hoping she keeps this personality as she grows older. And the best part is, she was my rescue bird- she had pasty butt so bad when I picked her up at the feed store I had to take her home and save her!! I literally had to peel it off, and it took off ALL of her fuzz on her butt, poor thing!! But now that she's feathering out, I love the black stripes on her tail!!

catchthewind: Uh oh. Lucy (the austrolorp) began developing her comb at a little over 2 weeks old. Its beet red now. I can't see waddle development yet, but she does have bald patches right where the waddles would start to show. And comparing her to delilah's comb (from what I've read, Delawares have more pronounced pea combs) Lucys is far bigger. Maybe Lucy will turn out to be a Lester??

But if I end up with a roo, that just means I HAVE to get one to replace him, and a couple more on top of that just because I cant have one chick in the brooder

 

[Wildflower_VA]

Your australorp doesn't look like my girls or my guy. Mine are now seven weeks old and never did their tail feathers stick up like that. The ones who had the white fluffy feathering down the front the longest are pullets.