EASTER EGGER CHICKENS HENS OR ROOS

[lvmychicklets]

Hello
I just inhereted 2 easter eggers about 6 months old. Are they hens or roos ? Any help wouldbe much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Granny Hatchet]

on the lighter chicken you are showing feathers up too high, do they have any nubs on the inside of their legs where spurs would grow? with that being a no, they sure look like hens to me. and the light one is especially beautiful.

 

[lvmychicklets]

Thanks granny hatchet ! I will be checking for nubs . Yes the lighter one is especially beautiful ! I sure hope they are hens !

 

[Granny Hatchet]

pretty sure they are. i was reading a book, chickens for dummies, my first book and it says, if it crows, its a rooster. haha i dont know what ever happened to that book

 

[shmccarthy]

The white one is without a doubt a boy just based on the coloring. Those red-brown patches on the wings are a sure sign of boy and he doesn't have a smooth coloration pattern. Male EEs will have patchy looking coloration.
The brown one has more of a feminine coloring, but I would need to see a side shot to see if there are pointy saddle feathers. The hackle feathers look pointed to me, unless that is just the coloration.

 

[donrae]

I don't think they're near 6 months, I think they're much younger, but they both look to me males.

 

[ChickenWisperer]

#1 is a roo - no argument. I have never seen a EE that color that was a hen - plus he's got a very red comb and shiny hackles.

#2 is a bit harder. From the angle looks female - the color also screams female, that's a very typical female-only EE coloring. However like another poster said, I'd need to see pictures of the saddle feathers. If they're pointed, it's male, if they're rounded, it's a girl. It's not uncommon for EE girls to have unusually pointy hackles, most of mine have.

 

[RedIII]

Everything I'm seeing so far on #2 says female to me.

 

[Veer67]

#1 from the coloring, comb, and stance I would say rooster.
#2- It's a common color for Easter Egger hens, I would say pullet.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree with the others that #1 is probably a roo...however there are females that have that white patterning, but the ones I've seen are more evenly patterned...and the red splashing here and there usually indicates roo...a better side photo would help to see any saddle feathers...but if I enlarge your photo enough, I think I can see the start of the saddle on his back (just in front of the tail)

#2 I agree looks like a it could be a pullet barring any saddle feathers, again a side photo with better lighting would help. It's pattern is not as even as some pullets of that color, and blotchy color is evidence of a roo.

One item of note, looking for spur nubs to determine sex won't help. Hens have nubs on their legs too. They just don't grow into spurs (usually) while males grow spurs from them. However, some females also grow spurs from those nubs.

Lady of McCamley