Easter Egger Sexing "tips and tricks" *Pictures Included*

[ibarbidahl]

Junebug- But I thought - isn't that what causes the grey patches on the feathers? It's not a pattern so it would default to the lineage as splash? Or is that wrong? It's definitely got blue in the genes. The grey head and the lavender stippling here and there...now grey splotches in the tail. I would seriously love to see more of that.
Anyway- I don't know much about what to call it color wise or pattern wise.

 

[daisykristy]

Hoot , 5 weeks old .The most outgoing.

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I have an EE that is the spitting image of this one
I was going to include a photo but it was from last week and you know how they change...

 

[junebuggena]

Junebug- But I thought - isn't that what causes the grey patches on the feathers? It's not a pattern so it would default to the lineage as splash? Or is that wrong? It's definitely got blue in the genes. The grey head and the lavender stippling here and there...now grey splotches in the tail. I would seriously love to see more of that.
Anyway- I don't know much about what to call it color wise or pattern wise.

I didn't mean that your bird isn't a splash, just that it's base color already makes it a splash, with or without splotches of grey.
Blue is a dilute gene, not a pattern gene. It "waters down" color. Birds with a single copy of the gene have a dark grey and blue color scheme. Birds with two copies have a blue and white color scheme. Your bird also has red leakage. I could be wrong, but I think there are other genes that control how much pattern is expressed and where it's expressed at. Chicken genes are hard and make my head hurt.

 

[ibarbidahl]

Ah. Yes. I guess I should have said that the splash is showing then. LOL. I wish there was some way to encourage that color. Like in horses that are dark brown you can feed them certain things to encourage a turn to black and likewise orange to red. I bet you could encourage red by feeding shrimp/shellfish in general but I want more blue/grey. Charcoal? bwhahahaha. Kidding, just kidding. (but seriously has my wheels turning now.)

 

[junebuggena]

I know, I have a flaming red columbian cockerel. I have visions of a whole flock with his bright red color.

 

[newmarch2014]

Genetics facinates and boggles me. Watching the one that is a match to ibarbidahl's feather out has been interesting. I have another EE that is beautiful and boring all at once. Her underside is dark grey and her flight feathers are 1/2 grey and 1/2 the boring ....don't know what to call that pattern boring brown....and her neck feathers are stupendous. I would love to know what genetics made that mess.

 

[curious chickee]

OK - This weeks pictures of my silly bird are early because Curious and NewMarch posted their birds. :-D Here is the bird I'm still watching - nearly 8 weeks now. The newest development: Look at the new tail feathers, this bird has splash somewhere in it's background. I would LOVE for more of this to come through! And this weeks gratuitous comb shot. [COLOR=B42000] [/COLOR] Body shot and wings... (OH! LIZARD - The bird next to it is the one that is turning red) Ah, so still waiting this one out and not giving up. I think after the next minimolt I'll put together a small compilation of growth pictures including the development of the comb, etc.

that looks like a three row pea comb which usually means cockerel. My similar looking pullet, still only has a skinny row on her comb at 9 weeks old

 

[Bruins]

Bruins - Were these straight run?

No , they were bought as day old pullets .

 

[daisykristy]

"I would love to know what genetics made that mess."

Exactly what I picture my parents saying the day I was born! LOL!

 

[ibarbidahl]

Bruins- In that case assume they are pullets unless the comb begins to change. I know they use RIR and Sexlinks all the time int he crosses, and that can introduce the red you see on your bird. Unfortunately the wait it out approach is best here. But, I can't wait to see how they develop.