EE Cockerel?

What gender is this?

  • Pullet

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Cockerel

    Votes: 7 100.0%

  • Can't tell

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    7
  • Poll closed .
Date sort Score sort
DallasUrbanChic

DallasUrbanChic

Chirping
Sep 4, 2015
24
16
79
Oak Cliff, Dallas, TX
I just got a new 8 week old Easter Egger baby today and I'm afraid this pretty bird may be male. There is a gender guarantee, but before I go through the hassle of returning him, I wanted to get confirmation from more experienced EE owners. I had Jackie picked out for a new name, but Jack may be the more appropriate name.


Here's a side view. I had a hard time getting a good photo while s/he was in their quarantine pen, so I tried hold him/her instead. I may need to try again. If I can get a better photo without me holding him, I'll add it to the thread.


Here is a closeup of the comb, which seems to be looking pretty masculine with the three distinct rows.


Here's the spur bud. I don't know if this is a sign of things to come or typical of all birds this age.
 
That's what I thought. I ordered the chicken through a feed store so I was at the mercy of the supplier to bring me a female. They should be bringing more next week, so I can trade it in for a girl. Since its not a true AA, I thought maybe a red comb for a girl was possible. But the red comb with the three rows is not promising. Here are a couple more photos of his feather coloring.
400

400
 
Pullets of any breed will not start to turn red in the comb until they are nearing laying age. No pullet, regardless of breed, is anywhere near being ready to lay eggs at only 8 weeks old.
 
Actually, with EE's white/silver (with black patterning) is most frequently male, while the wild type is frequently female, however brown/dark will not tell you which ones will become the typical partridge female pattern and can produce plenty of dark colored males while the light pattern, in particular white, is not often female.

There is some research that shows in wild type (chipmunk chicks), those chicks with 3 color bands (ie a brown bar between white and black stripes) that run from the top of the head down the neck all the way to the tail are usually female while the male pattern is usually 2 band colors (just the brown and black or brown with white) with an interruption at the neckline....head spot, nothing on the neck, then continues down the back.

But unfortunately there are too many exceptions to make this a sure thing...but I have found it to increase my odds.

If you are picking out older birds again, always choose one with the small, pale comb, and peas (much more likely to lay the colored blue/green egg for you) and with an even feather pattern....think kaleidoscope rather than patchwork quilt. The females will have regular even patterning while the males will have blotchy coloring...never chose a bird with red bars on the wing bows...that will be a rooster.

Good luck on the exchange.
LofMc

A good article on sexing chicks:
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/determining_sex_in_chicks/
 
Last edited:

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