# Hen or rooster



## Jeff

Black australorps. Hen orcrooster


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## ladycat

The top one is a rooster, and I think the bottom one is a hen. Although her tail feathers are a little bit curved, I don't see any sex feathers.


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## Jim

What is the age. The Black Australorps we have been breeding, the Roos get waddel and comb around 6 weeks, but as the hens mature and get near larking age, the do get small to larger waddle and comb.


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## drob12985

The first pic looks like a roo because it has longer sickle feathers in its tail. The other pic is kinda hard to tell, but from the picture and angle looks more like a hen.


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## jennifer

My thoughts are both roosters poo


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## jennifer

Yup. I think that they both are getting the rooster feathers


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## MaransGuy

1st one is a rooster for sure. I'm not sure about the 2nd one.


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## Jeff

They are 4 months old tomorrow and were purchased from a hatchery as being hens


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## jennifer

The second one maybe a hen.. The more I look the more I think hen.


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## fuzziebutt

Let me start by saying that I think that except for the tails, both are hens. The first one has the tail of a roo. Having said that, at 4 months old, you should be able to see the signs of spurs on roos. Look, and let us know who is right! I'm not betting on me, but this is how we learn, and it's kinda fun!!


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## jennifer

Fuzziebutt! I have a rooster that I thought was a hen until 8 months!! Believe that. It was very strange...


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## chickenmommy

I have two 16-17 week old austrorps and they have barely any comb at all.


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## MaransGuy

I just figured out that one of my favorite game hens is a rooster! Ugh.  It was so pretty and I have never seen anything like it before. I think it's 12 weeks old. Oh well. Now I have to sell him.


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## kjohnstone

Not enough detail on feathering. I have 2 BA from the middle of March, just a little more than 4 1/2 mo old. Without a clearer pic of feathering, with emphasis on hackles and saddle, wouldn't testify in court, but 1 maybe both are laying, both completely hen-feathered although one started comb growth and color at 3 months, now sports a pretty large comb but no spurs or crowing (she is a talker though) and she squats for me. The other looks like your #2 comb-wise, except the comb is just a little larger on mine. I have watched that one in the nesting box laying. So possible both hens until proof otherwise. On a roo, the hackle feathers (the area where neck feathers lap over onto body) are slender and pointy like a sword, (similar to saddle feathers). They are called sex feathers. On hen/pullet, those feathers are wider and rounded. at the tips. I have noticed on some hackle feathers on more colorful girls, it can seem to look like swords, but really is a v-shape of color that you notice inside a contrasting U shape feather, so it is the actual feather shape, not the color shape. I noticed on my girls (I bought straight-run, so was holding my breath since I can't have a roo) that the green irridescence was a V on the hackles, but the feather itself was rounded with the surface area outside of the V being a flat black. That is when I relaxed.


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## kjohnstone

Well, that clinches it for me, got 6 brown eggs today, which means all 4 amber-whites and Both australorps had to lay today. I believe your BA's are hens, they've got no more tails than mine, and mine are at most only 3 weeks older.


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## Jeff

Does this help


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## jennifer

1 hen 1 roo the one in the back has a roo tail


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## jennifer

1 roo 1 hen the one in the back looks like a roo


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## Jeff

Close up of one


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## Jeff

The other one


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## MaransGuy

jennifer said:


> 1 roo 1 hen the one in the back looks like a roo


A agree.


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## kjohnstone

Hi Jeff, my name is Butch, and I am a BA. Don't you just love my very large comb and curved tail? I will be be 5 months old at the end of next week. I've heard you like my kind! Well, guess what??? Surprise!!!!! I'm a pullet and I have been laying eggs! Daily!!

(Just in case you have any doubts about your girls)


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## Jeff

You just made my wife and daughter smile


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## kjohnstone

Jeff said:


> You just made my wife and daughter smile


Egcellent! If you also smiled (and/or chuckled and/or guffawed), then I will consider myself a complete success!


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## kjohnstone

BTW, your latter pictures showed great detail. Your girls are entirely hen-feathered and lovely!


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## puppidoodle

Well I am a newbie but I think both are hens, My Australorp roo who crowed at 13 weeks, was tall and a more vertical stance, larger comb and wattles, bright red comb, longer tail feathers, pointy saddle feathers. I was in denial until he looked me in the eye and crowed , guess he got tired of being called a lady!


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## puppidoodle

Also the saddle heathers are rounded. They don't look at all like my BA roo. Kjohnstone, so glad yours are hens. My roo was happily traded for a buff Orpington pullet, and he is a studly stud at a farm, being crossed with black orpingtons.


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## kjohnstone

puppidoodle said:


> Also the saddle heathers are rounded. They don't look at all like my BA roo. Kjohnstone, so glad yours are hens. My roo was happily traded for a buff Orpington pullet, and he is a studly stud at a farm, being crossed with black orpingtons.


Sounds like a good cross and a good life!


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## Jeff

They are both hens and laying.


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