Wattles, combs, or both for gender identification???

[Nikb]

Hi all! When indentifying the gender on pullets and cockerels, do you check the comb, wattle, or both? I have 5 week old black australorps with small yellow combs, but red wattles are starting to show. Is that just normal development for this age? I have 2 blue lorps that are definitely cockerels...they have large pink/red combs and larger wattles. The first two pics are the blue lorp cockerels...the last pic is one of the black lorps.

 

[Dottie the Chicken]

The third picture looks like a pullet right now. I think people use the comb and wattles for determining.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

I would say pullet. The redder and larger the comb is, the more likely it is that the bird is a cockerel. Some breeds have larger combs than others (e.g Leghorns, Naked Necks), and I think Australorps are somewhere in between. My two Australorp pullets had combs that size when they were 5 weeks.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Australorps tend to have early wattle development. Mine had wattles at 4 weeks. Everyone said cockerel. Well shes a she.