3 grooved pea comb= roo? **clearer photos

[rhs7111]

Quote:
He isn't a hen, I'm sorry. If you truly want to double-check the gender, post a VERY clear, straight on, close-up photo of the comb, and I'll look again...but I do think he is a cockerel.
In terms of what to do with him, how about trying to find him a new home where he won't be slaughtered? Sometimes, depending on your area, regional/local humane societies run shelters that accept roosters (and that is also depending on their vacancies, etc.) I'm not referring to town or city animal shelters, though. You can also post an ad here at BYC to rehome him. I've heard others say that BYC was their best resource for rehoming roos. If you use Craigslist, just be careful to whom you give him---check to make sure it's a good home, and not a free bird for their dinner table. Just my advice on the matter.

 

[debid]

Quote:
A three row peacomb certainly always has meant cockerel in my experience with peacombed EEs. HOWEVER, let's be clear that I'm talking about three DISTINCT vertical rows of actual bumps, not a strong central row and very, very small uneveness in the comb surrounding it. As well, I have had pullet EEs, always the white/black or silver colored ones, who have had distinct reddening in their single row peacombs at an early age. I don't use comb color as a gender indicator in EEs.

(Your chick is indeed a cockerel.)

I have a cockerel with a strong central row and barely visible bumps to the sides that reddened early. His comb has grown to show a 3-row as he's gotten a bit older. I have a pullet with three distinct rows of teeny, tiny pebbles at the same age (and her still yellow comb and body coloration just screams girl). Considering that I have four EEs and two of them don't follow your rule, I simply don't think this is reliable! Maybe within a line but I think this sort of generalization unnecessarily worries the newer folks like myself.

 

[rhs7111]

Considering that you have 4 EEs and I've had 50+ EEs, I'll stick to what I say about peacombs...and by the way, the three vertical row rule works on ANY breed with a peacomb, and not just a particular line within a breed. Plus, it isn't *my* rule, as you put it; it is in fact how peacombs develop in each gender. Apparently you have EEs with combs that differ from the norm. Do you have photos (both cockerel and pullet) to show us what you're describing? Perhaps people who have more experience with EEs (and/or peacombed birds) will see something you didn't.

 

[Pele]

I'm sorry that you can't keep the rooster. I'm in the same boat

Some day I'll move to the country and have whatever birds I please *sigh*.

I have had a ton of luck with Craigslist for re-homing roosters. Just put up a very nice ad for him, stating that he is free to a good home. Be clear that he is not for eating or fighting, ask people who show interest some questions about the flock they currently have, and viola, he's re-homed.

I've re-home 4 roos this year alone using Craigslist. Some of the people who took my boys send me occasional pictures of them. I'm so proud of the handsome roos they turned into!

 

[mrsruvi]

Quote:
He isn't a hen, I'm sorry. If you truly want to double-check the gender, post a VERY clear, straight on, close-up photo of the comb, and I'll look again...but I do think he is a cockerel.
In terms of what to do with him, how about trying to find him a new home where he won't be slaughtered? Sometimes, depending on your area, regional/local humane societies run shelters that accept roosters (and that is also depending on their vacancies, etc.) I'm not referring to town or city animal shelters, though. You can also post an ad here at BYC to rehome him. I've heard others say that BYC was their best resource for rehoming roos. If you use Craigslist, just be careful to whom you give him---check to make sure it's a good home, and not a free bird for their dinner table. Just my advice on the matter.

this is the best i could do this morning. he wouldnt sit still for me. below him is a picture of my other EE for comparison. I had assumed they were just different ages, but she was the same size as he was when we got them both.

edit, better picture. i chased him down and had the hubs take the picture this time.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
A three row peacomb certainly always has meant cockerel in my experience with peacombed EEs. HOWEVER, let's be clear that I'm talking about three DISTINCT vertical rows of actual bumps, not a strong central row and very, very small uneveness in the comb surrounding it. As well, I have had pullet EEs, always the white/black or silver colored ones, who have had distinct reddening in their single row peacombs at an early age. I don't use comb color as a gender indicator in EEs.

(Your chick is indeed a cockerel.)

Young EE pullets can have 3 distinct rows in their comb, but their combs are much smaller than a roo's 3 row pea comb


I wish this pic was clearer, but this pullet's comb had 3 distinct rows (they became more distinct as she grew - only 6-7 weeks old here)

Here is the same pullet at 19 weeks (close to laying age); Her middle row has started becoming quite prominent. It has grown into a large central row, but you can still see the 3 rows. The 3 rows were the same size when she was younger (the middle row was not always prominent in size).

Here she is 2 1/2 weeks later (21 1/2 weeks and now laying) Her middle row (and entire comb) continued growing and you can no longer see the 3 distinct rows.

Here is her sister with the single row comb:

And the two of them all grown up and definitley hens:

Edited to Add: The OP's chick is a cockerel -- the comb is too large and pink to belong to a pullet of that young age.

 

[rhs7111]

Quote:
A three row peacomb certainly always has meant cockerel in my experience with peacombed EEs. HOWEVER, let's be clear that I'm talking about three DISTINCT vertical rows of actual bumps, not a strong central row and very, very small uneveness in the comb surrounding it. As well, I have had pullet EEs, always the white/black or silver colored ones, who have had distinct reddening in their single row peacombs at an early age. I don't use comb color as a gender indicator in EEs.

(Your chick is indeed a cockerel.)

Young EE pullets can have 3 distinct rows in their comb, but their combs are much smaller than a roo's 3 row pea comb


I wish this pic was clearer, but this pullet's comb had 3 distinct rows (they became more distinct as she grew - only 6-7 weeks old here)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19548_chickens_011.jpg

Here is the same pullet at 19 weeks (close to laying age); Her middle row has started becoming quite prominent. It has grown into a large central row, but you can still see the 3 rows. The 3 rows were the same size when she was younger (the middle row was not always prominent in size).

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens005comb.jpg
Here she is 2 1/2 weeks later (21 1/2 weeks and now laying) Her middle row (and entire comb) continued growing and you can no longer see the 3 distinct rows.

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens003-1.jpg

Here is her sister with the single row comb:

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens004comb.jpg

And the two of them all grown up and definitley hens:

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens002-5.jpg

Edited to Add: The OP's chick is a cockerel -- the comb is too large and pink to belong to a pullet of that young age.

Well, to me, those are not three distinct rows in the pullet's younger photo. When I say distinct, I'm talking more about the photos of thewhite/black cockerel in this thread. Compared to your pullet, his three rows are more defined, whereas your pullet's there rows more closely fit (to my eye) my description above of "very, very small unevenness in the comb surrounding it".
What I'm essentially saying is that the OP's chick's comb is not only too large, but too defined, as compared to your bird's (and I agree with your "edited to add" comment).

 

[Pele]

As with anything in life, there is no hard and fast rules that apply in every single circumstance no matter what. There are only certain things that are true 90% of the time, and thus can be used as a guideline.

Are there pullets out there with three distinct rows in oversized combs? Absolutely. Are they random exceptions to a rule that is pretty universal? Absolutely. However, they do NOT make the rule useless and invalid.

If you have a young EE or Ameraucana that has 3 sharply and distinctly defined rows showing in a red comb, you almost 99% certainly have a young rooster. There is a veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery long shot that you have a pullet, but it is highly unlikely.

This is why most people do not rely solely on the comb, and take other factors into account. Color pattern, leg thickness, feather development, etc. In my experience, most of the people who helpfully post in this section of the forum take all of these features into account, and can be relied upon for accuracy.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Quote:
Young EE pullets can have 3 distinct rows in their comb, but their combs are much smaller than a roo's 3 row pea comb


I wish this pic was clearer, but this pullet's comb had 3 distinct rows (they became more distinct as she grew - only 6-7 weeks old here)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/19548_chickens_011.jpg

Here is the same pullet at 19 weeks (close to laying age); Her middle row has started becoming quite prominent. It has grown into a large central row, but you can still see the 3 rows. The 3 rows were the same size when she was younger (the middle row was not always prominent in size).

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens005comb.jpg
Here she is 2 1/2 weeks later (21 1/2 weeks and now laying) Her middle row (and entire comb) continued growing and you can no longer see the 3 distinct rows.

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens003-1.jpg

Here is her sister with the single row comb:

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens004comb.jpg

And the two of them all grown up and definitley hens:

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt4/manddteach2/gardenchickens002-5.jpg

Edited to Add: The OP's chick is a cockerel -- the comb is too large and pink to belong to a pullet of that young age.

Well, to me, those are not three distinct rows in the pullet's younger photo. When I say distinct, I'm talking more about the photos of thewhite/black cockerel in this thread. Compared to your pullet, his three rows are more defined, whereas your pullet's there rows more closely fit (to my eye) my description above of "very, very small unevenness in the comb surrounding it".
What I'm essentially saying is that the OP's chick's comb is not only too large, but too defined, as compared to your bird's (and I agree with your "edited to add" comment).

Yes - I agree that the OP's chicks' comb is much more defined than my 6-7 week old chick, but my pullet's comb did become more defined as she grew older - just not large like a male's would have been - hers was on a much smaller scale.

I tried to explain in my post that her rows became more distinct as she aged. That photo at 6-7 weeks was just the start of her comb - it was still quite small and flat then. The next photo I took that shows her comb was not taken till she was 19 weeks, and by then, the middle row had already gotten bigger because she was getting close to laying age. You can see how in the 3rd photo how it changed even further in the next couple weeks. Between the time those 2 photos were taken, she did have 3 distinct, level rows, but I did not know I would need photos of it later and do not have photos of her in that time period.

Here's a link to my page I constructed that year (over 2 years ago) - it includes my first 3 Easter Eggers and unfortunately, I did not specifically take pics of their combs until 19 months of age, because at that time I assumed the 3-row pea comb was normal in a pullet, until they reached a much later age:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=19548-from-chicks-to-pullets-to-hens

I've raised many Easter Eggers since that first batch and I'd say the majority of the Easter Eggers with the wider, 3-row comb are males, but not always. I just wanted to let others know it's not a hard and fast rule, so that they don't accidentally rehome their pullets because of a misassumption.

Basically, I"m just saying that if a young EE has a 3-row comb, you need to take the size and color of the comb along with the age of the chick into consideration too. I also agree with Pele: There are other factors to take into consideration too, when sexing EEs. Color pattern is a biggie. Sometimes, the comb alone is not enough for sexing an EE, but sometimes it is (the OPs chick for example - it can be sexed by comb alone, because it is very young and has an overly large 3-row pea comb).

 

[Happy Chooks]

I too have had pullets pop the 3 rows early on, but with the coloring - you have a cockeral, no doubt.