Easter Egger Sexing "tips and tricks" *Pictures Included*

[junebuggena]

Just about 6 weeks old. I have 7 others that I'm certain of at this point, but this one is throwing me off.

Too young to be certain, but not an obvious cockerel yet.

 

[Nksg75]

Your absolutely right. I will try to figure something out. I need to keep them covered because it has rained on and off here for awhile. I mistakingly placed a feeder full of feed out in the uncovered run, and left. Of course there was a downpour that afternoon. So all the food had to be thrown out.

I have never expierenced this before. The chicks have always grown at a normal rate. I haven't changed anything, and this broody is top of the pecking order.
She never backs down.
Very protective momma.

The eggs were from an outside source,
Regardless I will make sure they are able to get to the food without being run off.

 

[junebuggena]

Wet food does not need to be tossed immediately. It's fine if it gets wet from a rain shower. Just make sure they get fresh feed the next morning. My feeders are out in the uncovered run, no matter the weather.

 

[MinneChickies]

So... larger, pinker comb, pretty much no chance it'll be a pullet, right? All the chicks my broodies hatched last year were roos, so I was hoping the hatchery pullets I ordered would actually turn out to be, you know, PULLETS! There were supposed to be six pullets, one roo, and it's looking like there'll be three boys (which would put my total flock numbers at eight girls and four boys -- d'oh!).

Chicks will be 6wks on 4/26. Here's Tofu (my 3yo daughter named some of them), who I'm confident IS a pullet -- just sharing because her cheek floofs are the best:



Beatrice (probably Bertram). He's solid grey/black, but now the odd half-grey / half-red feather is popping up on back and wings. His comb started pinking up before even the known (marked by the hatchery) rooster's. Friendly and gentle, and the biggest of the chicks from Day 1:



The last two photos are of my favorite, Jellybean. Comb is about the same size as the known rooster's, nearly as pink. From reading this thread, I think his coloring is a giveaway. He's been the friendliest since the very start:





The only thing that has me clinging to a shred of hope is that the known roo (Eddie) behaves VERY differently from Beatrice and Jellybean. He's gotten really pushy/aggressive with all the other chicks and will get between me and the others. Will even "charge" at my hand. If he keeps up that behavior and those others DO wind up being boys, I don't think he'll be staying with us. All of our roo chicks from last summer (who were raised by hens, so they didn't even have the benefit of weeks of being socialized indoors) were gentle, if skittish. But their pop was the best rooster ever, so maybe that was just genetics.

 

[VeggieGoneEggie]

Hi all! One of my EE's is a little bigger than the rest and tends to stand and move more upright (especially when there's something to see or some noise or cause for alarm) and is definitely the more dominant of the group. It's only about 1.5 / 2 weeks old, so I know it's too early to say whether she's actually a roo, but should I be taking these signals as signs she's a cockerel or will pullets sometimes have this personality/behavior too? Thanks!

Likes to survey things from its perch.

"What's going on over there?"

Hello! The chick to the right of her is my other Easter egger for comparison, who is on the pullet path for now best as I can tell.

A shot at the feathering so far.

 

[debid]

Hi all! One of my EE's is a little bigger than the rest and tends to stand and move more upright (especially when there's something to see or some noise or cause for alarm) and is definitely the more dominant of the group. It's only about 1.5 / 2 weeks old, so I know it's too early to say whether she's actually a roo, but should I be taking these signals as signs she's a cockerel or will pullets sometimes have this personality/behavior too? Thanks!
...

Nope, every group of chicks has some that are more inclined towards leading and others toward following. Males and females. It's true that hormones will eventually drive the males to take a more dominant role but that doesn't often apply to such young chicks.

 

[dannyelle123]

So... larger, pinker comb, pretty much no chance it'll be a pullet, right? All the chicks my broodies hatched last year were roos, so I was hoping the hatchery pullets I ordered would actually turn out to be, you know, PULLETS! There were supposed to be six pullets, one roo, and it's looking like there'll be three boys (which would put my total flock numbers at eight girls and four boys -- d'oh!).

Chicks will be 6wks on 4/26. Here's Tofu (my 3yo daughter named some of them), who I'm confident IS a pullet -- just sharing because her cheek floofs are the best:



Beatrice (probably Bertram). He's solid grey/black, but now the odd half-grey / half-red feather is popping up on back and wings. His comb started pinking up before even the known (marked by the hatchery) rooster's. Friendly and gentle, and the biggest of the chicks from Day 1:



The last two photos are of my favorite, Jellybean. Comb is about the same size as the known rooster's, nearly as pink. From reading this thread, I think his coloring is a giveaway. He's been the friendliest since the very start:





The only thing that has me clinging to a shred of hope is that the known roo (Eddie) behaves VERY differently from Beatrice and Jellybean. He's gotten really pushy/aggressive with all the other chicks and will get between me and the others. Will even "charge" at my hand. If he keeps up that behavior and those others DO wind up being boys, I don't think he'll be staying with us. All of our roo chicks from last summer (who were raised by hens, so they didn't even have the benefit of weeks of being socialized indoors) were gentle, if skittish. But their pop was the best rooster ever, so maybe that was just genetics.

I think Beatrice is definitely a Bertram because of the pink and high comb and Jellybean I'm not sure- I think I saw a post that salmon breast is always a pullet but then again the coloring pattern seems very uneven and splotchy... Hope the hatchery has a refund policy! Some of my roos were very evident and then some I thought were sure pullets took a little longer to show but all of sudden there combs were very pink... But all of the ones that started early with pink combs were all boys

 

[igorsMistress]

Ok guys I've been impatiently waiting for a couple weeks lol.

Got this chick 2/10 so it's about 11 weeks. Elfie or Emmet?

 

[mymilliefleur]

Ok guys I've been impatiently waiting for a couple weeks lol.

Got this chick 2/10 so it's about 11 weeks. Elfie or Emmet?

I think you have an Emmet there. 100% Cockerel.

 

[igorsMistress]

I think you have an Emmet there. 100% Cockerel.

That's what I think too. Thanks mymilliefleur!