Just adding to the list.
This male, at about 4 - 5 weeks of age.
Him as an older cockerel at about 10 months.
This male, at about 4 - 5 weeks of age.
Him as an older cockerel at about 10 months.
Easter Egger Sexing "tips and tricks" *Pictures Included*
- Thread starter Morgan7782
- Start date
- Aug 26, 2019
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Much too soon to sex. Post updated pics at 6 weeks.Hi there! We got these Easter Eggers about 2 weeks ago and we are guessing they were about a week old because they had very feathered wings. Today I took them to a sheltered flower bed for some outdoor time. Marilyn is the blonde and seems to have some orangey gold feathers coming on her neck and chest (first two photos). Then we have Henrietta who has kind of a macho stance at times, very feathered tail, and not much comb so far. (Next 2 photos). Last is Penny, who was having a dust bath and couldn’t be bothered to pose. This her feathers and comb. Any guesses if we ended up with Roos?
LoupGarou -- It's not the color orange that determines the sex, but more the patterns and colors together. I think yours looks like a pullet, but a closer look at the comb would help.
See the splashes or brown on this 10 week old EE roo - typically (but not always), a pullet would not have those splashes - at 10 weeks, this roo still had rounded saddle feathers
The male splashes of coloring that give clues to an EE roo are on the wings, as pictured on this chick, but are more pronounced than on this pullet. Hers are light - a cockerl will many times have darker and larger splashes in that area, like the male chick belonging to the OP.
Sometimes you can't go by coloring - when they get a little older, you can look at their saddle feathers and combs
This is a roo about 10 weeks of age - note the larger, more pronounced comb and the pointed saddle feathers (near his tail) He matured early - many roos don't get pointed saddle feathers till 12-13 weeks of age
A pullet - small comb and rounded feathers.
These next 3 pics are of typical EE pullet type feather patterning - it's the pattern of the colors, not the color itself
The two in the back are very common EE pullet colors - the one in front is also a pullet, but doesn't have the typical female type coloring.
See the splashes or brown on this 10 week old EE roo - typically (but not always), a pullet would not have those splashes - at 10 weeks, this roo still had rounded saddle feathers
The male splashes of coloring that give clues to an EE roo are on the wings, as pictured on this chick, but are more pronounced than on this pullet. Hers are light - a cockerl will many times have darker and larger splashes in that area, like the male chick belonging to the OP.
Sometimes you can't go by coloring - when they get a little older, you can look at their saddle feathers and combs
This is a roo about 10 weeks of age - note the larger, more pronounced comb and the pointed saddle feathers (near his tail) He matured early - many roos don't get pointed saddle feathers till 12-13 weeks of age
A pullet - small comb and rounded feathers.
These next 3 pics are of typical EE pullet type feather patterning - it's the pattern of the colors, not the color itself
The two in the back are very common EE pullet colors - the one in front is also a pullet, but doesn't have the typical female type coloring.
Well
I don't think the pattern is strictly female, but red patches usually indicate a boy. As to EE genetics... tins of misinformation is out there. First EEs can be Ameraucana crosses with another breed, but most folks will tell you what that mix is and why. EEs from hatcheries are often attacked by modern Ameraucana breeders as being mixes, mutts and crosses. Hatchery Ameraucana are specificly early early lines that Hatcheries purchased when the Ameraucana was in development so are protype birds and thus will not meet the SOP for Ameraucana that the original Breeders of the Ameraucana finally after a lot of problems got the APAs approval. You need to understand the Araucana was the issue with the APA, they wanted the Ameraucana more different than it's related sister breed, both breeds come out of the same pool of birds imported to the USA, some breeders wanted the lethal gene that creates tufts others just wanted the beards no lethal genes. The original name of the Ameraucana was even an issue... so Hatchery Ameraucanas of the EE type represent this early genetic pool and thus show a huge range of genetics, tails, no tails, beards, no beards, different colored earlobes, tufts once in a blue moon, and many different egg colors. I learned this from one of the founder Ameraucana breeders. There is no point however in telling modern breeders this as many have invested themselves into the idea that all EEs are crossbreeds. If you start at the beginning of all the EE threads on BYC you will discover the EEs are fairly consistent on patterns, colors, pea combs, willow legs, eye color, beards, and most carry the blue egg gene... it is rare to get pink eggs, or tailless birds. So if your bird is Hatchery you have a proto-Ameraucana in its unfinished form, if you have a backyard bred bird then yes it could have other breeds but it will be difficult to guess, usually best to just ask. There are some great projects in the Olive Egger groups involving crossings. Your bird looks like a standard hatchery line bird to me though.
Hope this helps
I don't think the pattern is strictly female, but red patches usually indicate a boy. As to EE genetics... tins of misinformation is out there. First EEs can be Ameraucana crosses with another breed, but most folks will tell you what that mix is and why. EEs from hatcheries are often attacked by modern Ameraucana breeders as being mixes, mutts and crosses. Hatchery Ameraucana are specificly early early lines that Hatcheries purchased when the Ameraucana was in development so are protype birds and thus will not meet the SOP for Ameraucana that the original Breeders of the Ameraucana finally after a lot of problems got the APAs approval. You need to understand the Araucana was the issue with the APA, they wanted the Ameraucana more different than it's related sister breed, both breeds come out of the same pool of birds imported to the USA, some breeders wanted the lethal gene that creates tufts others just wanted the beards no lethal genes. The original name of the Ameraucana was even an issue... so Hatchery Ameraucanas of the EE type represent this early genetic pool and thus show a huge range of genetics, tails, no tails, beards, no beards, different colored earlobes, tufts once in a blue moon, and many different egg colors. I learned this from one of the founder Ameraucana breeders. There is no point however in telling modern breeders this as many have invested themselves into the idea that all EEs are crossbreeds. If you start at the beginning of all the EE threads on BYC you will discover the EEs are fairly consistent on patterns, colors, pea combs, willow legs, eye color, beards, and most carry the blue egg gene... it is rare to get pink eggs, or tailless birds. So if your bird is Hatchery you have a proto-Ameraucana in its unfinished form, if you have a backyard bred bird then yes it could have other breeds but it will be difficult to guess, usually best to just ask. There are some great projects in the Olive Egger groups involving crossings. Your bird looks like a standard hatchery line bird to me though.
Hope this helps
Thank you @nminusyplusm
@rlhagan56 Perhaps you would like to tell me where my VERY generalized explanation is incorrect. Mr. Blehm is on this board and has described the origins of the APA Ameraucana. What I wrote is a huge gloss over of the details since specifics were not needed for the purpose of the discussion at hand.
I believe the most common misstatement is that Easter Eggers were originally bred from APA Ameraucana when it is the other way around. It is true that the offspring of true APA Ameraucana that do not fully conform to the APA SOP (only 50% of the time is required by the APA) could be referred to as Easter Eggers and would have features that we have come to expect from EEs like beards, muffs and blue or green eggs. And if you cross an APA Ameraucana with another breed, you might get birds that look like "modern day" EEs. But the fact is that the two factions that took the 1970's "mutts", often referred to as "Araucana" or "Easter Egger", that in some cases look like what we would currently call an EE worked diligently for years to create birds that had specific traits and would breed true to develop the APA Araucana and APA Ameraucana.
And lucky you to have some of Mr. Blehm's birds!
@rlhagan56 Perhaps you would like to tell me where my VERY generalized explanation is incorrect. Mr. Blehm is on this board and has described the origins of the APA Ameraucana. What I wrote is a huge gloss over of the details since specifics were not needed for the purpose of the discussion at hand.
I believe the most common misstatement is that Easter Eggers were originally bred from APA Ameraucana when it is the other way around. It is true that the offspring of true APA Ameraucana that do not fully conform to the APA SOP (only 50% of the time is required by the APA) could be referred to as Easter Eggers and would have features that we have come to expect from EEs like beards, muffs and blue or green eggs. And if you cross an APA Ameraucana with another breed, you might get birds that look like "modern day" EEs. But the fact is that the two factions that took the 1970's "mutts", often referred to as "Araucana" or "Easter Egger", that in some cases look like what we would currently call an EE worked diligently for years to create birds that had specific traits and would breed true to develop the APA Araucana and APA Ameraucana.
And lucky you to have some of Mr. Blehm's birds!
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The second one is male for certain, that patterning is positively screaming it. I can't see the comb on the first but if it's developing already, it's also a cockerel. It looks like that last rooster has some serious construction skills!
I THINK there are SOME breeds that can be feather sexed. Autosex and Sexlink are obvious at hatch. Other than that, you need an experienced vent sexer.
I looked at the thread you posted, sorry but I'd have voted back then 2 roos based on those pictures. A pullet that color wouldn't likely have the patchy red areas. And the big 3 row comb!
If you have questions about EE gender, this is the thread! @Wishing4Wings is rarely (if ever???) wrong when she makes a determination. And she isn't shy about saying "not sure, wait a week".
Sorry about the dead bird, did it have physical signs of damage?https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pullets-or-cockerels.1355194/
Judging by the red wing thing, my other one was also a rooster. We found it dead on Thursday and now are wondering if it was a fight gone wrong. I'm trying to rehome this guy before he hurts our silver phoenix rooster
I looked at the thread you posted, sorry but I'd have voted back then 2 roos based on those pictures. A pullet that color wouldn't likely have the patchy red areas. And the big 3 row comb!
If you have questions about EE gender, this is the thread! @Wishing4Wings is rarely (if ever???) wrong when she makes a determination. And she isn't shy about saying "not sure, wait a week".
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