4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Janty]

I got my lovely, friendly Australorp, Dalglish from my local breeder after a succession of blue egg laying bantams turned out to be non blue egg laying cockerels.

 

 

I may just be a bit paranoid as it's the same breeder and she is lovely but very bad at sexing. I also have a bad history with cockerels as those of you who have been on here for a while will know! However, I now have a sad feeling about Dalglish.

 

 

Does anybody have Australorps? She is about 16 weeks old if that helps.

Any opinions would be gratefully received.

 

 

 

 

 

[Egluntyne]

Sorry J.....I think you might be right. Something about the hackle feathers and the sweep of the saddle feathers says cockerel to me. I hope I'm wrong.

[Janty]

That's exactly what I mean. I will be gutted to give her / him up but I do have a feeling. I am going to try to rehome her if she is a him rather than take it back to the breeders. It really is an overly friendly bird. It sits on the leg rest of my chair in the conservatory 'talking' away to me. It would be a shame to take it back to the breeders where it will be put in with all the other cockerels to fend for itself.

 

 

I'll put an advert in the local farm shop for a good home if it comes to that.

[House MD 221B]

without wishing to be funny, or rude, but I'd recommend a change of breeder she may be a lovely person, and with the best of intentions, but.... for your money's sake, and sake of getting what you actually want, I'd switch. Even if it would be harder or further to go.

 

One mistake may be fine, even two perhaps at a push, but if you've had a string of them, I know I'd have lost confidence in the breeder and changed by now. But that is solely my humble opinion.

[Janty]

I know exactly what you mean....this will be the last bird we get from her unfortunately.

I would like to rehome this one if it's a boy as it is so friendly but I know she'd swap it if necessary. Trouble is, if she did swap it, I'm not convinced we wouldn't just get another boy.

[abwsco]

If you look at feathersite there's a youngish cockerel on there who looks very similar.

[ClaireG]

I'm sorry Janty but i think your cokerel magnitisum has raised it's head yet again.

[Redwing]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say girl.

[Griffin]

I'm going to stick my neck out and say girl.

I'll tentatively join you in that corner. I don't think the hackle feathers are pointy enough to be a boy. It definitely looks like a girl in the first photo anyway.

[Falkor]

Girl from me too

 

basing it on what my Orps looked like around that age...even now then have swoopy down feathers...albeit round ones.

[chick wiggle]

Oh dear, I do hope shes a she, I know nothing but i couldnt see anything boyish about her. What sort of sound does she make, is there any difference there? I have just started to worry a little about my Pickle but she is only 14 weeks old but her sound is more of a little bark than a chirp

[Janty]

There's no cockerel sounds yet but it was a feeling when playing with her today...the neck feathers, and tail.

 

I will be gutted if she has to go. At the moment she is in the cube and run (inside the WIR) but when my friend comes to collect her girls tomorrow, I'm moving her and the bantam babies back into their eglu as they like to roam the garden with me and destroy my garlic.

 

[chick wiggle]

Well I will be keeping my fingers very tightly crossed for you and Dalglish Janty

[Janty]

Thank you

[Chicken Shirl]

I think girl as well. I am going to stick my neck out here amongst all you very experienced people. I can always tell quite early on by their poo! I know it sounds crazy but all the cockerels I have been privileged to know have done much smaller poos than hens and they are elongated. Maybe it's different with other breeds, and mine are such a mish mash of breeds. I don't know. Reading that I feel really stupid but it has been my observation in the past. Hope it helps. Really hope it's a girl for you.

 

Shirley.x

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Oh dear Janty, I see what you mean about Dalglish & Clover

 

{{{huge hugs}}}

 

Sha x

[Griffin]

I think girl as well. I am going to stick my neck out here amongst all you very experienced people. I can always tell quite early on by their poo! I know it sounds crazy but all the cockerels I have been privileged to know have done much smaller poos than hens and they are elongated. Maybe it's different with other breeds, and mine are such a mish mash of breeds. I don't know. Reading that I feel really stupid but it has been my observation in the past. Hope it helps. Really hope it's a girl for you.

 

Shirley.x

Guess who will be staring at Silkie poops in the morning?

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Niiiice

 

I must admit that Mr Yellow Legs conveniently decided to deposit a very neat little poo in front of my patio door for me at lunchtime

 

Sha x

[Plum]

I think girl as well. I am going to stick my neck out here amongst all you very experienced people. I can always tell quite early on by their poo! I know it sounds crazy but all the cockerels I have been privileged to know have done much smaller poos than hens and they are elongated. Maybe it's different with other breeds, and mine are such a mish mash of breeds. I don't know. Reading that I feel really stupid but it has been my observation in the past. Hope it helps. Really hope it's a girl for you.

 

Shirley.x

Noooo my little sussex cross does that and she has much better head gear than her half sister 6 weeks older. No I'm being paranoid now, she has a pretty face, fine legs, gentle nature and pointy neck feathers

 

We are all going to be poo hunting.

[Janty]

I'm going out in the morning hunting for big fat juicy poos.

 

[Lewis]

I'm going out in the morning hunting for big fat juicy poos.

 

:lol:

[Chicken Shirl]

I think girl as well. I am going to stick my neck out here amongst all you very experienced people. I can always tell quite early on by their poo! I know it sounds crazy but all the cockerels I have been privileged to know have done much smaller poos than hens and they are elongated. Maybe it's different with other breeds, and mine are such a mish mash of breeds. I don't know. Reading that I feel really stupid but it has been my observation in the past. Hope it helps. Really hope it's a girl for you.

 

Shirley.x

Guess who will be staring at Silkie poops in the morning?

 

You had a look yet? Whats the verdict?

[Janty]

Not yet...I'm poo hunting later.

 

[abwsco]

As I know I have two boys I will have to look at their poos compared to the girlies now

[Daphne]

I have to say that the theory does not hold true for LF orps - huge male bird with huge poos to match. I'm afraid my imagination has run away with me - what about a new village fete game....'And who does a poo like this?'....Or 'Guess the weight of the poo'...its probably time I got back to work and devoted my energies to something a bit more serious