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

[polarbearpilot]

Age 3 weeks
It's still early, but does anyone see probable signs of pullets or cockerels? All from the same EE rooster.


chick 1. My fav. Dad is a reddish EE & mom is a BIG gold & grey hen (her mix contains Orpington & Welsummer.)
I'm having a hard time telling if the feather coloring is boy reddish brown or pullet gold. The large comb looks 3-row-wide to me.
Prediction= boy




chick 2. Same mom & dad as #1. Narrower comb but same reddish color questions.
Prediction= boyish




chick 3. Both parents are EE. Chick hatched from green/blue egg
Prediction= boyish




chick 4. Same parents as chicks 1&2 My daughter talked me into adding an extra egg from our fav hen. We pulled this one out of the fridge & incubated it. Her/His name is Omelet because that was supposed to be her destiny.
Prediction= female




chick 5. Both parents EE. Chick hatched from green/blue egg
Prediction= boyish



Chick 6. Mom is a white EE / egg-laying machine & Dad is brown. Chick is mostly black. How???
Prediction= female

.
I agree with your predictions except chick 3 - looks like a pullet to me. Please post again once you know for sure.

 

[chickydoos]

@polarbearpilot
Even the young pics of your chick indicate male by the red splotches in the wings, even in the 8 week old picture. Nigellas' chick doesn't have that, but that said, there is always room for confusion with Easter Eggers!

I agree. This is a hen. U could tell in polar bears pics that it was a roo from the first set of earlier photos.

 

[chickydoos]

Here's my 3 pullets at 6 weeks and 1 day old.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote: It's only done for production hybrids because it takes lots of volume for the cost savings of having novice sexers sort them (as opposed to more expensive, highly trained vent sexers) to cover the cost of maintaining the breeding program.

The part that complicates matters is the anecdotal evidence from folks experienced in breeding a particular line. If you know two chicks have the same genetics for feathering rate, the males will tend to be incrementally slower. But taking randomly bred chicks and comparing them to each other? Might as well dangle a ring on a string.
Thank you! That completes the picture of the little bits that I've read here and there. I have a decent understanding of general genetics, but the particulars of chicken genetics is still mostly a mystery. (Remembering that the females have the short sex chromosome is challenging too.

) If it is just the two alleles for the feathering gene and a simple case of dominant/recessive, then in a randomly bred pullet chick the chances are 50% being fast feathering. Same as flipping a coin. Although the chances for a fast feathering cockerel is less.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Here's my 3 pullets at 6 weeks and 1 day old.

You got a good selection of colors. Very cute!

 

[chickydoos]

You got a good selection of colors.  Very cute!

Thank you! I adore them. They are little sweeties. Finally warm enough for them to be outside. And they are loving every bit of it!

 

[BlessedCountry6]

I agree. Lilly needs a name change.

Thank you so much polarbearpilot!! I can't wait to see his colors when he is older. I am so glad I have an EE too. I have a could other Roos of 2 diff breeds I think but this one is the one I'm looking the most forward to growing.

 

[Dianne88]

Thank you, I will keep a close eye on this one! I change my thoughts on her/him every day!

 

[Flocky]

Need help with theses 4 please! The add said "Rooster (daddy) is an ameraucana and the hens (mommies) are ameraucana, silky and rhode island red"
I think they are 5 - 7 weeks old.
Bluebell



Lilac



Lilac & No Name


No Name



No Name 2



Any help would be awesome!

 

[MandaMunky]

@Flocky I feel like "No Name" is probably a boy with all of those red splashes & that wide comb & the others look like really pretty little pullets to me. They're all so cute!