Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers - Which is Which?

[BonnieBlue]

Two other individual pics of ones I am zeroing in on to keep (along with Lavender)...

Violet is the black and red one. She likes to sit on my lap and be scratched/petted.

Peony is the black and white one.

I don't yet have individual pics of Bonnie Bluebell or Sweet Pea.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

If you look at the photo of day old OE chicks on the Ideal website, the OE chicks have orange legs.

Also, I began crossing EE roosters (homozygous for slate legs) from Ideal hatchery years ago, and all chicks crossed to hens with yellow shanks (including Welsummers) were sexlinked, with pullets having slate shanks from the roosters and cockerels having yellow shanks from the hens. But I can't find info re if the sexlinking works in reverse, i.e. if Ideal crosses Welsummer or Barnvelder roosters with homozygous for blue shank EE hens, will they also be sexlinked? @NatJ @nicalandia , can you provide insight?

 

[Auntiejessi3]

You, too, think it might be a cockerel?

I do, that's why I asked

 

[BonnieBlue]

I do, that's why I asked

So how and when will I know? Other than crowing, what do I look for with characteristics? At what age do they start crowing?

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I do, that's why I asked

I'm afraid so too; the random red feathers growing in is a classic early sign of an EE chick being a cockerel, often before a redder comb becomes obvious.

 

[BonnieBlue]

I'm afraid so too; the random red feathers growing in is a classic early sign of an EE chick being a cockerel, often before a redder comb becomes obvious.

NOOOOO...

Well, that is a disappointment. So I guess I need to watch for signs of Lavender being Lenny. If IT starts crowing, I am in trouble, since I can only have hens. Meaning Lavender/Lenny will have to be rehomed before that happens.

Lavender/Lenny, is one of the more standoffish ones in the bunch. I don't see it being any more aggressive towards the others, but when it came time for them to experience the run for the first time, she/he was all "nope, I don't trust y'all"!

I guess it is time for me to start zeroing in on which other one might be a keeper.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

NOOOOO...

Well, that is a disappointment. So I guess I need to watch for signs of Lavender being Lenny. If IT starts crowing, I am in trouble, since I can only have hens. Meaning Lavender/Lenny will have to be rehomed before that happens.

Lavender/Lenny, is one of the more standoffish ones in the bunch. I don't see it being any more aggressive towards the others, but when it came time for them to experience the run for the first time, she/he was all "nope, I don't trust y'all"!

I guess it is time for me to start zeroing in on which other one might be a keeper.

Also keep in mind that EE's can lay blue or lighter shades of green along with pink-ish and the occasional brown. But I would bet money that lavender is a cockerel

 

[NatJ]

If you look at the photo of day old OE chicks on the Ideal website, the OE chicks have orange legs.

Also, I began crossing EE roosters (homozygous for slate legs) from Ideal hatchery years ago, and all chicks crossed to hens with yellow shanks (including Welsummers) were sexlinked, with pullets having slate shanks from the roosters and cockerels having yellow shanks from the hens. But I can't find info re if the sexlinking works in reverse, i.e. if Ideal crosses Welsummer or Barnvelder roosters with homozygous for blue shank EE hens, will they also be sexlinked? @NatJ @nicalandia , can you provide insight?

The dark/light legs:
yes, dark male to light female gives sexlinks (dark-legged daughters, light-legged sons).
The reverse cross (light male to dark female) gives light-legged chicks of both genders.

So if Ideal is crossing a light-legged rooster (such as Barnevelder or Welsummer) to dark-legged hens (such as the Easter Eggers in question), that would produce light-legged chicks.

I have no idea how many flocks Ideal is using to produce their Olive Eggers: they may be doing the cross in one direction for one flock and the other direction for another flock.

Based on what else has been said in this thread, plus the chick photos and the descriptions from Ideal's site, I would expect the orange-leg chicks to be Olive Eggers, and the dark-leg chicks to be mostly Easter Eggers (but could include some number of Olive Egger, to make the numbers come out right with what was ordered.)

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

The dark/light legs:
yes, dark male to light female gives sexlinks (dark-legged daughters, light-legged sons).
The reverse cross (light male to dark female) gives light-legged chicks of both genders.

So if Ideal is crossing a light-legged rooster (such as Barnevelder or Welsummer) to dark-legged hens (such as the Easter Eggers in question), that would produce light-legged chicks.

Based on what else has been said in this thread, plus the chick photos and the descriptions from Ideal's site, I would expect the orange-leg chicks to be Olive Eggers, and the dark-leg chicks to be mostly Easter Eggers (but could include some number of Olive Egger, to make the numbers come out right with what was ordered.)

Thank you for the info for my knowledge, and I hope @BonnieBlue also finds it helpful. I don't know if Any sexlink crosses work both ways, but was hoping for OP's sake that in this case it did.

 

[BonnieBlue]

The dark/light legs:
yes, dark male to light female gives sexlinks (dark-legged daughters, light-legged sons).
The reverse cross (light male to dark female) gives light-legged chicks of both genders.

So if Ideal is crossing a light-legged rooster (such as Barnevelder or Welsummer) to dark-legged hens (such as the Easter Eggers in question), that would produce light-legged chicks.

I have no idea how many flocks Ideal is using to produce their Olive Eggers: they may be doing the cross in one direction for one flock and the other direction for another flock.

Based on what else has been said in this thread, plus the chick photos and the descriptions from Ideal's site, I would expect the orange-leg chicks to be Olive Eggers, and the dark-leg chicks to be mostly Easter Eggers (but could include some number of Olive Egger, to make the numbers come out right with what was ordered.)

Thank you for the info for my knowledge, and I hope @BonnieBlue also finds it helpful. I don't know if Any sexlink crosses work both ways, but was hoping for OP's sake that in this case it did.

Very helpful. Thank you for the info!