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

[Robin37]

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Thank you WishingforWings. I bought these bantams from Murray Mac Murray. The shipping label says Araucana but I was told that is not true.

Ah. I don't know the quality of hatchery EE bantams, but when you see a large fowl EE with a cushion comb, it usually was from a backyard breeder that mixed EE with something like Wyandotte.
Araucana are more rare, and in the US are rumpless... they have no tail. Not just the feathers, but the tail bone is missing as well. And instead of muff and beards, they have tufts- largish feathers that jut out from their faces. Hatchery EEs are really non standard Ameraucana.

 

[backinthecoop45]

Actually, a VERY easy way to show people sexing EE's by demonstrating with your pictured birds there is by color. EE's are very easily sexed by color, as most are actually sex-linked too.


Females in most cases come out a partridge looking brown and black, often known as wild-type duckwing. Some though are silver too, which is strictly black and white, sometimes with a salmon breast.

Males on the other hand are quite often black and white, but have colored red, orange, or yellow feathers that emerge on sometimes the neck, back, and most importantly and almost always the shoulders. These are tell-tail signs of a male, as females cannot have that color in those regions. Other male colors that are red flags are one coming out with a black breast and red markings on the shoulders, neck, and back.

True saddle and hackle feathers actually come in much later, so judging by them is a hard thing to do, especially when someone is new with chickens.

Hi,
So

in reading your thread we are assuming that this 3 month old EE is a cockerel then? Is that right?

 

[sassysarah]

Hi,
SoView attachment 1053576 in reading your thread we are assuming that this 3 month old EE is a cockerel then? Is that right?

Looks like a pullet to me. But can you get a better pic of the comb?

 

[backinthecoop45]

Sorry about that. This is as close as I can get right now.

 

[Lindsay119]

How old is it now? The most helpful picture would be a full side view of it standing naturally. Sometimes hard to get, but gives a lot of info as far as male coloring and male saddle feathers coming in. From what I can see, it looks like a pullet, including comb color, but depends on age and what it looks like in the parts I can't see.

She's around 6 weeks old maybe 7...
here's a picture of her standing.

 

[sassysarah]

Sorry about that. This is as close as I can get right now.View attachment 1053611

PULLET FOR SURE!!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

She's around 6 weeks old maybe 7...
here's a picture of her standing.

Ok, now I see the red coming in across the back and maybe on the wing. Can you post another pic in a week? I had two similar to this, and one ended up being a pullet and one a cockerel, although I knew by the comb what each would be. Yours could go either way, but I think it will be a couple more weeks before you know for sure.

 

[backinthecoop45]

PULLET FOR SURE!!

Can you tell me how you determined that this is a pullet??

 

[backinthecoop45]

PULLET FOR SURE!!

Because to us it looks like she has those pointed neck feathers instead of round and maybe wattles that are starting to grow out??