Bantam Easter Eggers

[Wrex]

Hello everyone. During lockdown I was unable to sell my surplus eggs at work as usual, so I let my broody hens keep some. I have 3 chicks at 7.5 weeks old and three at 5.5 weeks. A few weeks ago I was convinced that the three eldest were all roos, as their combs went pink. However, a couple of the younger ones are now much pinker so I am not sure about the older ones now. To me the feather colouring suggests pullets, but the combs are pinker than I would like. Is it too early to tell? I am also curious whether it is possible to determine the breed from the chick feathering? I know that

the father is a BBR Araucana (UK, with tail). The eggs that were fertile were all light cream/white, so must be from either my Wyandottes (I have gold and silver in both laced and partridge), Barnevelders (double laced in silver or blue gold/red) or Fresian Fowl hens (Chamois Pencilled). These are the 7.5 week old ones. Chicks in pictures 1,2,3 are reversed order in the last picture (3,2,1)

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[Wrex]

5.5 week olds. 1 and 3 obvious roos, but not sure about no. 2?

 

[renk777]

Hello everyone. During lockdown I was unable to sell my surplus eggs at work as usual, so I let my broody hens keep some. I have 3 chicks at 7.5 weeks old and three at 5.5 weeks. A few weeks ago I was convinced that the three eldest were all roos, as their combs went pink. However, a couple of the younger ones are now much pinker so I am not sure about the older ones now. To me the feather colouring suggests pullets, but the combs are pinker than I would like. Is it too early to tell? I am also curious whether it is possible to determine the breed from the chick feathering? I know that
the father is a BBR Araucana (UK, with tail). The eggs that were fertile were all light cream/white, so must be from either my Wyandottes (I have gold and silver in both laced and partridge), Barnevelders (double laced in silver or blue gold/red) or Fresian Fowl hens (Chamois Pencilled). These are the 7.5 week old ones. Chicks in pictures 1,2,3 are reversed order in the last picture (3,2,1)



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These 3 look like pullets to me but I have no clue about who the moms would be. I see some blue feathers in 2 of them so if I had to take a random guess, I'd say birds 1 & 2 might be out of the blue laced Barnevelders? Maybe #3 is out of a a friesian? But chicken genetics are crazy. Interested to see what others say and what they look like when adult plumage comes in as it might be quite different and more telling of what created them.

 

[Johnny17]

All are pullets

 

[featheredplanets]

The 3, 7.5 weeks olds are pullets. The 5 week olds may need a few weeks to mature, but I’m guessing 1 and 3 are cockerels and 2 is a pullet.