Sexing Black Australorps

[Airyaman]

No photos yet as I am going to give it a couple more weeks (they are just over 7 weeks) or so before I really try to determine which sexes I have in my 9 member BA subflock.

Sadly, I'm thinking 7/9 are cockerels. I know with certainty 2/9 are pullets. I feel certain 5/9 are cockerels, but there are 2 that are throwing me off because unlike all of the other hens I have (Welsummer, BCM, CCL, Barnevelder, Speckled Sussex) they have fairly large combs.

That said, what things should I be looking for? My two certain pullets have next to no combs and wattles, while my two mystery chickens have larger than I would expect combs, but their wattles are miniscule. My 5 certain roos look like baby raptors with humongous combs and wattles already.

At what age would I expect more certainty?

Thanks!

 

[nuthatched]

At 7 weeks, anyone with a large abd/or pink comb is probably a cockerel

 

[Airyaman]

At 7 weeks, anyone with a large abd/or pink comb is probably a cockerel

Yeah, I was fearing that. So many cockerels. I may have to learn to eat my own chickens.

Not sure I can do it.

It's a shame really. If they could all just learn to get along with women around, they could live.

 

[nuthatched]

Yeah, I was fearing that. So many cockerels. I may have to learn to eat my own chickens.

Not sure I can do it.

It's a shame really. If they could all just learn to get along with women around, they could live.

They're not likely to get along without ever being around hens, when it comes to bachelor pads, it seems 1in 4 work out.

 

[Seaslug]

I would post photos -- large combs & wattles in a 7 week Australorp does not automatically mean male -- they are a breed with large combs and wattles. Our hen developed them early -- some humans in the family swore she would develop into a rooster, but it turns out that her comb is smaller than our California White's.