Americauna Pullets, possible Roo?

[natr89]

Hello all! I am back with more Roo concerns :/

We just got another 3 (they sent us 4) day old Americauna and 1 Buff Orpington chicks from Mt. Healthy Hatcheries about a month ago. Chicks are around 5 weeks old now and I am starting to get similar concerns as last time we might have a roo, although this time while they are much younger.

I am quite confident the rest are pullets, but this one has me worried due to my last thread when you all were VERY convinced by the brownish coloring around the shoulders on my EE last year: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/3-month-old-buff-orpington-do-we-have-a-roo.1570514/

The comb is similar to others, but may be "more" red than the rest? Or maybe I am just paranoid :/

I know Americauna's are different than EEs, but very similar in many ways too.

Appreciate any help! I can get better/more pics of the others or this one if that would help in any way as well.

Thanks so much!

 

[fluffycrow]

Americaunas are the same thing as EEs, and from what I can see you've got three cockerels

 

[natr89]

You cannot be serious, really? How are you determining that? I wasn't even worried about the others!

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

I would agree, at this age and the coloration and comb development it appears that all 3 are Cockerels, I have reservations about 1 but leaning heavily to all 3.
Could you take individual pictures of them all, full bodies?

 

[natr89]

You're saying the two white ones are cockerels?

To be clear, all three pictures are of the same chicken...

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

You're saying the two white ones are cockerels?

To be clear, all three pictures are of the same chicken...

Yes, I believe the White ones are Cockerels, but I have a reservation on the one on the right, but better photos of each would help, it's a little early but those colors are making a statement of Cockerels.

 

[natr89]

Ask and you shall receive! Here are all 5 chicks with numbers labelled.

You guys have me so worried now. I literally got them from a hatchery with 95% accuracy to AVOID what happened last time when I got 2 roo's in 6 chicks from a local feed store. Now you guys are telling me that THREE of my FIVE are roos? Come on, I just cant win I can only break my daughters' hearts so many times when I have to get rid of more than one rooster!

 

[Winderdear]

I really hope they’re females. I’m so sorry you’ve had to rehome some of your birds already

Is there a specific reason you picked Buff Orpingtons and EEs? Perhaps you were looking for friendly birds for your daughter? If you add to your flock again in the future, you may have better luck with a breed where you can distinguish between male and female when they are day old chicks (sexlinked and autosexing breeds). It’s still not 100% accurate, but darn near.

I was afraid to end up with roosters myself, so I ordered Cuckoo Marans, a Welsummer and a Dominique. They don’t have the cute muffs of an EE, but they are all sweet birds (the Dominique especially), and all female. Other options I’m aware of are Barred Rocks, Crested Cream Legbars (but not the Frost or Opal varieties), Bielefelders, Rhodebars, Welbars, 55 Flowery Hens, Lakeside Eggers, Red Sexlinks and Black Sexlinks.

 

[natr89]

We were going to do all buffs due to termperment (they are sooooo sweet with my kids since they were held since day old) and they are relatively heat hardy (we live in FL) along with laying 280+ eggs a year (my family eats a lot of eggs).

The EEs/Americaunas were just because my wife likes colorful eggs Along with them also being moderately tempered and laying 260+ per year.

 

[Winderdear]

We were going to do all buffs due to termperment (they are sooooo sweet with my kids since they were held since day old) and they are relatively heat hardy (we live in FL) along with laying 280+ eggs a year (my family eats a lot of eggs).

The EEs/Americaunas were just because my wife likes colorful eggs Along with them also being moderately tempered and laying 260+ per year.

Understandable! I can recommend Dominiques if you want another super sweet breed. They are heat tolerant (said to originate from Dominica), and lay 230-275 eggs per year, supposedly even through winter. The only drawback is the eggs are not large. Crested Cream Legbars or Lakeside Eggers will give you blue eggs, so they may be a good choice in place of EEs, but I haven’t personally owned any.