How can I tell if these Australorp chicks are hens or roosters?

[DreamsInPink]

Likely the hens will be black with maybe some color leakage and the roosters will be black barred, again maybe with color leakage. I've never done that particular cross myself so I'm not 100% sure.

And actually any barred hen works. So barred rocks, crested cream legbars, dominiques, cuckoo marans, etc etc. Any of them will work.

Ok, cool... thank you!! I'm a long way away from having to worry about this, but it's always nice to know. I wonder if there is some handy dandy chart lurking somewhere on the internet... lol

 

[Pyxis]

Ok, cool... thank you!! I'm a long way away from having to worry about this, but it's always nice to know. I wonder if there is some handy dandy chart lurking somewhere on the internet... lol

Yes, actually: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

 

[DreamsInPink]

Yes, actually: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261208/sex-linked-information

Ha!! Amazing!!! Thank you!

 

[Toodles]

Thanks for the information. Dang, I wanted all hens! One of the cockerels is pretty calm and lets me pick him up easily, the other one is kind of skittish. Is their behavior at this young age relevant or in any way predict their adult personality?

 

[appps]

A rooster will help protect a flock but at the end of the day they are just a bird up against much bigger and more powerful predators. Sometimes they protect by simply being the one that gets killed instead of a hen.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thanks for the information.  Dang, I wanted all hens!  One of the cockerels is pretty calm and lets me pick him up easily, the other one is kind of skittish.  Is their behavior at this young age relevant or in any way predict their adult personality? 

I would get rid of the one that lets you pick him up and keep the skittish one - he's the one that respects you. Search the forum and check out all of the "Mean Rooster" threads. You will see that it is quite often the friendliest, most "tame" one that turns into a nightmare. Or - since you wanted all hens in the first place - get rid of both cockerels and replace them with two more pullets.

 

[Toodles]

Interesting, I was thinking the nice, calm one would be the one to keep (if I keep one). I may just re home both. I feed my hens expensive organic feed and sell the extra eggs, I specifically got 5 more hens to keep up with the demand for my eggs. Well, now I guess it's 3 more hens.

 

[bobbi-j]

If you're not planning on breeding, I would not keep the roosters and feed them the expensive organic feed. That seems like a waste of money to me.

 

[Lozzie12]

I don’t know how old my baby chicken are