Easter Egger club!

[debid]

Help me out EE owners... Roo or hen??? I'm thinking roo, but praying hen. The name is Munk, and I swear his/her black feathers have a purple sheen when in the sun!View attachment 1058459

Pretty sure those silver feathers in the mid-back are male saddles coming in.

 

[MrsKris]

@MrsKris how old is s/he?

13 weeks

 

[MrsKris]

Pretty sure those silver feathers in the mid-back are male saddles coming in.

You are not helping, lol! The other roos the same age have saddle feathers that are very obvious...this one, not so much...

 

[SunHwaKwon]

13 weeks

Being 13 weeks, it looks pretty female.

 

[sannabelle]

I haven't ever had any of my EEs go broody before, but IME as long as she's over a year old, she'll make a good mama. If she's under a year, don't let her sit the eggs.
Put her in her own kennel inside the coop to keeothe other chickens from laying eggs in her nest. Let her out once a day to eat and relieve herself, probably take a dust bath too, but be super careful not to let other birds multiply her clutch. XD

Thank you! I did that today I picked up her nesting box and she stayed in it while I moved it into the kennel, haha. Dedication. She's about 16 months old so I'm sure she will be fine. Now I have a black sexlink trying to brood. What is happening!!!????

 

[junebuggena]

Help me out EE owners... Roo or hen??? I'm thinking roo, but praying hen. The name is Munk, and I swear his/her black feathers have a purple sheen when in the sun!View attachment 1058459

Cockerel.

 

[Katherine Robertson]

Hi I'm Kate! I'm new to BC and this thread. I thought I would share my ridiculous EE hen, Uranus. She loves so much to have her belly rubbed. She will just fall asleep! I also think I have a white easter egger (ordered two and they look so different). Pic of her soon!

 

[Katherine Robertson]

Quote:

The chicks are my favorite part. Their down is SOOO soft!

Not to mention the zillions of colors they come in.

I just got a yellow one. Curious to see what color she grows up to be!

 

[FlyWheel]

View attachment 1059974 Hi I'm Kate! I'm new to BC and this thread. I thought I would share my ridiculous EE hen, Uranus. She loves so much to have her belly rubbed. She will just fall asleep! I also think I have a white easter egger (ordered two and they look so different). Pic of her soon!

I've noticed that...all chicks seem to have that response. I think my duck and goslings did too, but it's been so long I cannot remember for sure. I wonder why that is? Just about every reflex action has a reason, especially in animals that rely a lot on instinct.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, that is what you do to roosters to calm them so you can milk the semen from them for artificial insemination. What I have read is that they instinctively "play dead" when placed on their backs, to cause a predator to lose interest when they are in that very vulnerable position. Moving or struggling would get their guts ripped out.

ETA I found an article from an experiment that showed they will remain immobile longer when they know they are being watched, in comparison to when there was a plywood barrier placed between the bird and the observer. So, in theory, and not to burst anyone's bubble, you could say its as cute or funny as scaring the **** out of your cat with a cucumber.