Easter egger no tail? Silkie gender?

[BeccaBoo]

Hi everyone,

This may be a silly question, but it looks like my Easter egger Jelly-Bean doesn’t have a tail? Does that mean it has Araucana in it? (new chicken mama & used good ol’ Dr Google lol)

Also, I know it’s early, but any gender predictions on my 7 week old silkie Hazel?

Thanks so much everyone & have a blessed weekend w/your flocks!

xoxox
Becca

 

[Holdthechicken]

Where did you get your Easter egger? She’s adorable, I have pretty limited knowledge on Araucanas but it seems like a good guess to me!

Your silkie is a little young to tell, plus is in an “awkward feather” phase but theres nothing screaming cockerel. While not super common my silkie cockerel was crowing by 9 weeks.

 

[BeccaBoo]

Thank you so much!
I got my Easter egger at D & L Farm & Home in Denton. She’s so funny when she “stands up” tall. She reminds me of one of those runner ducks lol

I haven’t see any “roo-like” behaviors yet from Hazel, but I know it’s super early & her (hopefully) feathers are hilarious right now.

 

[JedJackson]

It could be a hatchery quality Araucana, if any of the hatcheries offer them. It has a bit of a beard, and purebred Araucanas shouldn't have that. They should have the whisker things. I think they are called tassels, but not sure.

It could be that one of the hatcheries used Araucanas to make their Easter eggers.

Or it could be a spontaneous mutation that caused her to be rumpless. That can happen with any breed, though it's rare.

The Silkie is too early for certainty but if I was forced to guess now I'd say pullet because the comb is small and looks flat. Time will tell.

 

[NatJ]

It could be a hatchery quality Araucana, if any of the hatcheries offer them. It has a bit of a beard, and purebred Araucanas shouldn't have that. They should have the whisker things. I think they are called tassels, but not sure.

The things on Araucanas (in the USA) are called "ear tufts" or just "tufts."

Tufts cause a problem when breeding: any bird with two genes for ear tufts will die. So breeders can cross tufted with not-tufted to get half tufted chicks and half not-tufted chicks, or they can breed two tufted birds to get half of chicks tufted, a quarter of chicks not-tufted, and a quarter of chicks dead without hatching (two copies of the tuft gene.)

In the USA, there are Araucanas (ear tufts, rumpless, breeding issues) and Ameraucanas (muff/beard instead of ear tufts, has a tail, no breeding issues.) Some other countries have a breed called "Araucana" that looks very different than the "Araucanas" in the USA. For example, in Australia the Araucanas have a tail, muff/beard, and a crest of feathers on their head.

 

[BeccaBoo]

It could be a hatchery quality Araucana, if any of the hatcheries offer them. It has a bit of a beard, and purebred Araucanas shouldn't have that. They should have the whisker things. I think they are called tassels, but not sure.

It could be that one of the hatcheries used Araucanas to make their Easter eggers.

Or it could be a spontaneous mutation that caused her to be rumpless. That can happen with any breed, though it's rare.

The Silkie is too early for certainty but if I was forced to guess now I'd say pullet because the comb is small and looks flat. Time will tell.

Thank you! I was thinking maybe she had a mix of the araucana in her? Her being rumpless cracks me up! She’s the cutest & funniest thing!

I figured it was way too early w/Hazel, but thought it would be fun to see what anyone thought.

 

[JedJackson]

Thank you! I was thinking maybe she had a mix of the araucana in her? Her being rumpless cracks me up! She’s the cutest & funniest thing!

I figured it was way too early w/Hazel, but thought it would be fun to see what anyone thought.

She looks like she has a lot of personality! I think when she is older it will be more clear what she is. Hazel will take time, too. Cute birds.

 

[BeccaBoo]

She looks like she has a lot of personality! I think when she is older it will be more clear what she is. Hazel will take time, too. Cute birds.

Thank you! JellyBean is still rumpless & hilarious & loves to snuggle! Hazel’s growing! 10-11 weeks now. Still thinking pullet, but s/he could have me fooled lol