8-week Easter Egger "pullet" - is it actually? *Updated 10-week pics pg 3 - Boy or girl?*

[wordgirl]

Haha...well, this little chicken is proving quite the adventure.

I think I'll have to call it Sneaky, for a number of reasons!

Thanks for all your help, everyone. I will try to keep updating pictures as IT continues to grow up. I'm very puzzled myself! I have a BO cockerel who is a definite rooster and I've tried to compare saddle feathers on the two (they're still under the bigger, normal back feathers on both birds). I don't see any red under the feathers on this EE, and after looking at the saddle feathers again a couple days ago, I can't tell whether they're girl or boy ones. With the BO it's nice because his saddles are a definite glossy red-gold and you can easily tell the difference between saddle and normal, but on the EE they all look the same - they might be pointy, but I'm not positive. And the comb did look a bit big yesterday, but it's still not as tall as I would guess.

Mutant rooster or sneaky pullet...I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[nakstk]

 

[wordgirl]

So, I just went out to look at Sneaky again. I searched all under its feathers for pointy saddles or hackles, but I didn't find any that screamed boy. Some might have been, but they were all so uniform in color to the feathers on top that it was hard to tell the difference. I don't know, but in multicolored (other than solid), would the "boy" feathers tend to be at least a slight variation in coloration from the normal body feathers? I couldn't find ANY red at all under there, not on its back or on the wing "shoulders." And the feathers coming in around the tail look mostly henn-ish, and the tail is definitely not filling out and up like the BO cockerel's is, who's sprouting glossy gold roo-feathers all over the place.

Those of you who have had EE roos, do their earlobes go red along with the comb when they're young? The BO definitely has reddish earlobes, but he also has big red wattles, which EE roos often don't really have. I didn't know whether the earlobes were connected more with the comb or the wattles. Do you know? Sneaky's earlobes are very pale, hardly any pink in them.

This chicken has got me really confused. I'm very much enjoying it, but huh?

 

[lsg1007]

Are all your chickens about the same age? I noticed that with my developing pullets, that the one that acted more dominant - seemed to develop more quickly making her appear to have male characteristics (bright red comb, wattles - color would come and go and sickled tail feathers). They are all pullets and are starting to lay. This seems late for a male EE to start showing the mahogany red. I vote female just because there doesn't seem to be any variation in the wing feathers. You will likely know in a few more weeks. Post more pics as soon as there is change

 

[wordgirl]

Yes, all of my chickens are the same age. This one doesn't act super-dominant, I don't think, although I'm not with them all the time and am not sure on that. When I am around it gets as far away from me as possible, which includes crouching and slipping beneath the other chickens to hide. But thank you for letting me know that - it could definitely be a possibility. I'll keep you guys updated!

 

[wordgirl]

11-week-old Update!

Here are some new pictures of Sneaky. What do you think?

I am kind of leaning toward pullet now. That could of course change again, because for a while now about 70-80% of the time I'd been thinking Sneaky was a boy. I'm still not sure, but I'm kinda thinking if I HAD to guess, I would say pullet. But there are still several things that say cockerel, so that's why I'm not certain. Stance and comb still say cockerel, but the coloring, lack of red feathers, lack of saddle feathers, a tail that seems to be trying to turn into a hen's tail, and the size of the comb make me think it may be a girl.

Comb


Comb from front



Back

Any saddle feathers?


Tail

Full-body Shots






A comparison of my BO cockerel (left) and Sneaky, just because

What do you think?

 

[spikennipper]

I'm still thinking little roo

the stance and the look in the eye is very cockerel like, the comb is small and pinkish which looks like a hens but then I am not familiar with the breed but do the boys get huge combs? does anyone have comparisons of a 2 and a half month old roo of the same breed compared to a pullet? the saddle feathers don't usually begin to show until the 3rd month or so I think two and a half months is still a little early, in any case I always think it is best to assume a bird is a roo if you can't quite tell and be surprised with a pullet than the other way round!

 

[greenegglover]

I have two girls that are very similar looking, Im 99% sure Sneaky is a she.

 

[aoxa]

I am going to say roo. That comb is very red, and the sickle feathers are visible. Wait until 14 weeks and see if we can see some saddle feathers. Right now it is too early to be 100% sure.Black and white EEs are more often then not boys unfortunately. There are black and white girls, but much more common to see black and white boys.

 

[ChicKat]

x2 I'm guessing male.




hope it shows, and sorry not good picts. Female ee's born May 25th