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

[carolinasculpture]

Love this thread! Had trouble finding it after the move, glad i found it again! Have 2 little ones that hatched the first week in May, will be posting pics of them when they are older.

 

[nminusyplusm]

ok, so i have zero experience with this but i have a sinking feeling one of my chicks is a roo...

the possible roo is in this group: 2 blue EEs and 1 blue Ameraucana. if anyone cares to guess on breed too go right ahead, i have no clue!

mystery chick does not act like the others, is much bigger, has a larger comb and looks pinker, thicker legs, body is not round like the others, starting to have tail feathers that curl downward, stands more upright, jumps on the others, herds them, chest bumps and stands over them, you know what i mean? color and marking are also different but i don't know if that means anything. the 2 that look like females to me are more solidly colored and look very alike in every way. mystery chick has white mottling on its face and the wing feathers shade more so it looks like bands.

on the left i'm sure is a girl EE or Ameraucana. on the right is the ?.

lower left corner is the mystery chick, far right is either blue EE or Ameraucana for comparison:

on the left, mystery chick:

mystery chick:

mystery chick:

mystery chick tail feathers:

mystery chick:

mystery chick:

female for comparison:

mystery chick:

mystery chick:

mystery chick:

mystery chick tail feathers:

mystery chick:

mystery chick comb:

mystery chick comb:

what do you think? thanks for any help in advance!

 

[nminusyplusm]

forgot to say they are 5 weeks old.

 

[debid]

forgot to say they are 5 weeks old.

At 5 weeks, the one with the pink and growing comb is a cockerel. That doesn't actually mean the rest are pullets, though. They can develop a bit later. Watch for early comb growth and patches of dark red bleeding through the blue in the wing bow.

As for whether they are "pure" Ameraucana, did you get them from a breeder? Really, the only difference is whether they meet breed standard and breed true. That's not easy to judge from a few pictures as babies.

 

[nminusyplusm]

At 5 weeks, the one with the pink and growing comb is a cockerel. That doesn't actually mean the rest are pullets, though. They can develop a bit later. Watch for early comb growth and patches of dark red bleeding through the blue in the wing bow.

thank you! that's what i thought :-(, and yep, i know i might have another(s) that hasn't shown any signs yet.

As for whether they are "pure" Ameraucana, did you get them from a breeder? Really, the only difference is whether they meet breed standard and breed true. That's not easy to judge from a few pictures as babies.

they came from meyer so i think the one ameraucana i ordered is the real thing... just hope it's not the roo.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

thank you! that's what i thought :-(, and yep, i know i might have another(s) that hasn't shown any signs yet.



they came from meyer so i think the one ameraucana i ordered is the real thing... just hope it's not the roo.

The EEs usually have green legs. SOP Ameraucana do not.
In some pics, your cockerel looks to have greenish legs. Maybe a trick of lighting or difference using flash??

 

[nminusyplusm]

legs are slate, bad lighting! sorry!

The EEs usually have green legs. SOP Ameraucana do not.
In some pics, your cockerel looks to have greenish legs. Maybe a trick of lighting or difference using flash??

 

[igorsMistress]

EEs can have slate legs. My pullet has slate legs but no fluffy cheeks or beard

 

[Wishing4Wings]

legs are slate, bad lighting! sorry!

No problem. You just won't know if he is supposed to be the true Ameraucana. But like debid already said, breed doesn't matter so much as meeting the SOP and breeding true.

 

[nminusyplusm]

i may never know since nobody's going to be breeding. no roosters allowed where i live.

No problem. You just won't know if he is supposed to be the true Ameraucana. But like debid already said, breed doesn't matter so much as meeting the SOP and breeding true.