Possible BR and gender guessing

[chantald]

I'm thinking this isn't an Australorp chick.. look at those stripes beginning to show! Could this be a Barred Rock or a mix between Australorp and BR (that possible?)

Now.. the gender guess.. This is another of the Australorps.. about a month old now. This one is the only one with a teeny tiny tail.. even the shorter sibs have longer tails than this one!!
I'm thinking roo?? :|

Are you making fun of my tail?!!

 

[chickenlady]

Are you sure about the age? Looks younger than a month. Maybe 2 1/2 weeks at the most with that feathering.

 

[chantald]

Yes, I'm positive about the age, if anything.. they migh tbe older by a day or two.. but not younger.

 

[MaransGuy]

Here is a pic of an EE roo at 4 weeks old:

What are you feeding them? Do all the chicks have such sparse feathering? By the way, it does look like a cockerel.

Richard

 

[speckledhen]

Richard, that looks alot like my Orpington cockerels look when they feather out. The boys feather so slowly that they are almost bald with the fuzz falling out faster than the feathers coming in. The sides of the neck and the back are often truly bare, so that looks normal for some breeds in the cockerels. I'm not saying that is an Orpington, but it seem like it could be an Australorp cross, possibly.

 

[12 Acres]

I am NOT an expert, but I'd say your Australorp is a roo. I've got 2 just like it and I ordered them as such, so I'm very confident they're males. I've read somewhere (probably here) the the males of certain breeds develop feathers more slowly than the females.

 

[GwenFarms]

Looks like a roo to me to.

Your chick could be an Austrolorp, but it does look like there could be some barring starting on the feathers. Its just hard to tell when they are first coming in. Here is a link to pics of Cackle Austrolorp chicks:


http://www.cacklehatchery.com/aex0274.JPG

 

[Sparrow]

Your first chick kinda looks like my Silver Laced Wyandottes, just with somewhat more white on the face than mine have.

Your Australorp chick looks like my Australorp cockerel when he was about 2-ish weeks old. At 4 weeks he was much bigger than the guy you posted the pic of. Maybe you have an accidental Australorp Bantam?? lol

 

[chantald]

Wow.. that is a big chicken for 4 weeks old!!

We got them from a farm two days after they hatched.. so I'm sure of their age. The possible Roo is the same size as 3 of it's sibs, the other 3 are the size of the first photo. Of the 3 bigger ones, the other two are nearly fully covered in feathers.. the 3 little ones are 1/2 between fuzz and feather.

They eat like crazy and are an active bunch. No idea if there were any Bantams on the farm to be a mix..I saw tons of full size chickens walking around the barnyard when we were there to get the chicks..

 

[chickenlady]

Here is a pic of my 4 week olds. Anyway, have you had a heat lamp on this guy since you received him? If not, maybe that is why he is so slow. I will have to say you have a roo if he is that old now. They are adorable, good luck with them.