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

[igorsMistress]

Hi all

Question about pea combs. It's no guarantee that my pullet will lay blue eggs just because she has a pea comb right?

My ee roo also has a pea comb. Will this affect the likelihood their offspring will give us blue eggs?

I'm thinking ee's are like a box of chocolates but would like some expert opinions please!

Thanks

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Thank you! I'm learning a lot! I will try and be smarter about who I buy my birds from lol. On the other hand, they are gorgeous! I'm going to try and find that baby roo a good home next week. He's super handsome and friendly.

There are definitely some benefits to EEs... eggs, for example. Both of my Ameraucanas are broody right now, but the EEs just keep on laying!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Hi all

Question about pea combs. It's no guarantee that my pullet will lay blue eggs just because she has a pea comb right?

My ee roo also has a pea comb. Will this affect the likelihood their offspring will give us blue eggs?

I'm thinking ee's are like a box of chocolates but would like some expert opinions please!

Thanks

Yes, that's right. For Ameraucana/Araucana/EE chickens, the gene for blue shells is located very close to the pea comb gene on the chromosome. The close proximity of the 2 genes means they are not often separated during cellular reproduction, and usually inherited together. They are not linked, so it is not 100%.
Yes, your male with the pea comb is more likely to carry the gene for blue shells so more likely to pass it to his offspring. I believe blue shell gene is dominant, so only one copy of the gene is needed to be expressed, but I've heard one copy means the color will be paler. Whether you get blue eggs also depends on the presence of separate genes for brown pigments, which are added to the outer layer of the shell toward the end of the egg laying process. Brown pigments applied on white shells can range from pale cream to tan, brown to very dark brown. The same brown pigments on the outer layers of a blue shelled egg will result in green, khaki, or olive colored eggs. Makes for a beautiful egg basket!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

View attachment 1035628 View attachment 1035629 View attachment 1035623 Any ideas on these EEs they are between 8-12 weeks

First one looks like a cockerel.
Second pic is a cockerel.
Third looks more like a pullet to me, with the small pale comb. With the red coming in on the wings, if it's a younger bird, it might also be a slow developing cockerel. Wait a week and post some more pics and we can see!

 

[3skeltons]

First one looks like a cockerel.
Second pic is a cockerel.
Third looks more like a pullet to me, with the small pale comb. With the red coming in on the wings, if it's a younger bird, it might also be a slow developing cockerel. Wait a week and post some more pics and we can see!

The black and white is about 10 weeks old, she has characteristics of a pullet but her tail is throwing me off, she hasn't developed any wattles and the others I got at the same time that are cockerels have.

 

[igorsMistress]

Yes, that's right. For Ameraucana/Araucana/EE chickens, the gene for blue shells is located very close to the pea comb gene on the chromosome. The close proximity of the 2 genes means they are not often separated during cellular reproduction, and usually inherited together. They are not linked, so it is not 100%.
Yes, your male with the pea comb is more likely to carry the gene for blue shells so more likely to pass it to his offspring. I believe blue shell gene is dominant, so only one copy of the gene is needed to be expressed, but I've heard one copy means the color will be paler. Whether you get blue eggs also depends on the presence of separate genes for brown pigments, which are added to the outer layer of the shell toward the end of the egg laying process. Brown pigments applied on white shells can range from pale cream to tan, brown to very dark brown. The same brown pigments on the outer layers of a blue shelled egg will result in green, khaki, or olive colored eggs. Makes for a beautiful egg basket!

Thank you very much! I'm going to hatch some next spring for the grandkids and hoping for blue eggs.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

The black and white is about 10 weeks old, she has characteristics of a pullet but her tail is throwing me off, she hasn't developed any wattles and the others I got at the same time that are cockerels have.

At 10 weeks, you're pretty safe calling it a pullet. Pretty bird. I've never had good luck sexing by the tails.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Thank you very much! I'm going to hatch some next spring for the grandkids and hoping for blue eggs.

Choose white or the lightest colored eggs to hatch if you want blue laying pullets. The darker eggs will produce green layers. Hope you get a bunch of "pretty egg" layers. And pretty "egg layers"!

Also, is your EE male from a hatchery? They tend to be more consistent keeping the blue gene in their stock (but it can still vary). Some backyard breeders will "make" their own version of an EE, sometimes outcrossing, and the genetics can actually be more varied than hatchery stock... the downside being your male might only have one gene for blue shells making it 50/50 whether it gets passed on. Hatcheries have been fairly consistent for at least 30 yrs (when I got my first EEs).

 

[Rachm1]

Okay sorry to post again, but this one is now 8 weeks and I'm still curious about what you all think.

 

[debid]

Okay sorry to post again, but this one is now 8 weeks and I'm still curious about what you all think. View attachment 1036705 View attachment 1036706 View attachment 1036707

I'm afraid it's more waiting to see. There's nothing male showing here but it's not old enough yet to be sure it won't.