# Autralorp Hens or Roosters??!?!



## Wander (6 mo ago)

I bought 4 Australorp chicks in the spring at the local feed store, and was told they were all females. Two months later, I am having my doubts. I am pretty sure picture 1 and 2 (pics of same bird) is a rooster. Two others look like picture 3. And then there is #4, who I am pretty sure is a hen. I have always suspected that #4 was a little younger than the others. Can anyone confirm and help me figure out what the 2 that look like #3 are? I am a first time chicken owner, and so confused. BTW, the suspected rooster in pics 1 and 2 does crow all.... morning.....long.

If one is a rooster and 3 are hens, should I keep the rooster or is 3 hens not enough hens to feed his ego? Right now, as you see in the photo, we can pick him up and carry him around and he isn't beating anyone up. Please don't tell me I have 3 roosters and 1 hen!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Can you get a pic of 3 on the ground. There are feather characteristics that are important for sexing. 

I agree, 4 is a hen. With the better pic of 3 maybe we can call it a girl too.

@fuzzies is our resident whiz on sexing and breeds. She'll be by when she stop for a minute.


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## Wander (6 mo ago)

robin416 said:


> Can you get a pic of 3 on the ground. There are feather characteristics that are important for sexing.
> 
> I agree, 4 is a hen. With the better pic of 3 maybe we can call it a girl too.
> 
> @fuzzies is our resident whiz on sexing and breeds. She'll be by when she stop for a minute.





robin416 said:


> Can you get a pic of 3 on the ground. There are feather characteristics that are important for sexing.
> 
> I agree, 4 is a hen. With the better pic of 3 maybe we can call it a girl too.
> 
> @fuzzies is our resident whiz on sexing and breeds. She'll be by when she stop for a minute.





robin416 said:


> Can you get a pic of 3 on the ground. There are feather characteristics that are important for sexing.
> 
> I agree, 4 is a hen. With the better pic of 3 maybe we can call it a girl too.
> 
> @fuzzies is our resident whiz on sexing and breeds. She'll be by when she stop for a minute.


There are 2 that look like pic 3. Here are pics of their bodies. Sorry pic A isn't better.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

B looks male. 

I really can't tell on A. We need @imnukensc or @fuzzies to stop in.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You know what? Look at the feathers at the start of the tail and at the bottom of his neck. Look to see if you see those sae feathers on any of the others.


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## fuzzies (Jul 27, 2021)

There are 4 birds total? I'm only seeing one pullet, the bird in picture 4 in the first post. 

As a first-time chicken owner, I would strongly recommend that you get a few more pullets to keep your girl company and rehome all the boys. Keeping roosters is a whole different beast than just having hens as a first-timer and it's really best to have some chicken experience (and some older hens who can teach up and coming males some proper chicken manners) before keeping them. Very often, the sweetest and cuddliest boys end up being the most wicked birds you can imagine when the hormones start pumping. At the very least, I would recommend you rehome all but one of them and get a few more hens for him.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And there you have it. Bad news on having so many males. 

Pip is right, even if you kept one male you'd need several females to keep him from over breeding the single female.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Welcome to the forum!


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## ChickenBiscuts (May 28, 2021)

#4 is only pullet I see


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