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

[Suziqzer]

Thanks junebuggena. I am feeling the same way. Compared to the other chick, it certainly is getting pink. Bummer since I took it home to save it. We have a friend who may take a rooster if we end up with one. Hope he's a pretty one if we're right.

 

[mollybuck]

This is my remaining black and white "it" I'm thinking that the other was a pullet and I use to think this was a cockeral.. but the comb is nothing like the brown one. I couldn't catch them to get better pictures. I need the kids home from school for that! They sure aren't as slow or friendly as my larger birds!

 

[mollybuck]

you can see the comb better on him... even though he was bombed by a CX!
#whatsforbreakfast

 

[ibarbidahl]

Mollybuck- What is the age of these birds?

 

[CorvidLady]

Hello! Great thread, and very helpful. I've taken some newbie educated guesses on our 5 EE chicks. They are just about 5 weeks old.

Please feel free to weigh in!

Black and white (nameless, atm), started as a dark brown chipmunk. Cockerel?




Ivy, Started as a light yellow chipmunk. Pullet?


She's alive here, I promise. She's like a rag-doll when I cradle her. lol

Zatanna, Pullet?



Cobblepot. I was leaning toward Cockerel for the longest time, as s/he is so much larger than the others but I'm not sure anymore. S/he is also a full 24 hours older than the rest of the chicks.



No name #2, Started as a light yellow chipmunk. The flash washed it out, but the comb has a pink flush and has for awhile. Cockerel?




Thanks for any input!

 

[junebuggena]

Hello! Great thread, and very helpful. I've taken some newbie educated guesses on our 5 EE chicks. They are just about 5 weeks old.

Please feel free to weigh in!

Black and white (nameless, atm), started as a dark brown chipmunk. Cockerel?




Ivy, Started as a light yellow chipmunk. Pullet?


She's alive here, I promise. She's like a rag-doll when I cradle her. lol

Zatanna, Pullet?



Cobblepot. I was leaning toward Cockerel for the longest time, as s/he is so much larger than the others but I'm not sure anymore. S/he is also a full 24 hours older than the rest of the chicks.



No name #2, Started as a light yellow chipmunk. The flash washed it out, but the comb has a pink flush and has for awhile. Cockerel?




Thanks for any input!

 

[junebuggena]

This is my remaining black and white "it" I'm thinking that the other was a pullet and I use to think this was a cockeral.. but the comb is nothing like the brown one. I couldn't catch them to get better pictures. I need the kids home from school for that! They sure aren't as slow or friendly as my larger birds!

 

[CorvidLady]

Thanks,junebuggena. I suspect the same. I've got my fingers crossed that no one else starts looking manly.

 

[lizardandchicks]

This is my remaining black and white "it" I'm thinking that the other was a pullet and I use to think this was a cockeral.. but the comb is nothing like the brown one. I couldn't catch them to get better pictures. I need the kids home from school for that! They sure aren't as slow or friendly as my larger birds!

What type of goats do you have?

 

[Gldnrose]

If the chicks are 1-3 days old, look at the wings. The girls have 2 feather joints and the boys have one. This changes very quickly. If they are 1-2 weeks, look at the wing length/tail length - girls will have longer wings and a tail, whereas the boys will have stubby wings and next to no tail. This NOT 100% at all, but if you're picking chicks up out of a bin, it will help your odds. I grabbed 8 EE's from Ace Hardware 12 weeks ago with an eye towards 1 cockerel and 7 pullets and that's what I've ended up with. I could actually use another cockerel, so I was hoping Ideal had missed one on the 10 Welsummers & Barnvelders they sent, but nope, they got it all right this time.

My first batch were all Buff Orpingtons and one took forever for the tail to grow. We called it Bob (as in bobtail). I thought for sure that one was going to be the boy. I did get a boy, but it wasn't that one, lol. We still call her Bob, poor thing. But the name just kind of stuck. The one that ended up being a boy feathered out just as fast as the other girls, but like you said, it's not 100%. But the comb, wow, there was no mistaking that once it popped out. I try to be patient and wait till a crow or egg, unless its glaringly obvious. It is hard though, always wondering if they are boys or girls and I am sure I'll be doing the same thing with this batch.


My husband had already gone and picked up the new chicks before you replied so we've got what we got now. These are the two EE's, then I also have two barred rocks and two speckled sussex. I made a list of things to look for when picking them out, to try to avoid any possible males (even though they were all "sexed" as girls) but I swear he did complete opposite of what I had written down, lol. Especially with the barred rocks, and the whole theory on the size of the yellow dot on their heads. Oh well, I guess we shall see. All six are doing well though