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

[Regrn5]

At 16 wks, cockerels would have male saddle feathers and larger bright red combs. Those are very pretty pullets.

Thank you! So happy to hear!

 

[Robin37]

La

Well


I don't think the pattern is strictly female, but red patches usually indicate a boy. As to EE genetics... tins of misinformation is out there. First EEs can be Ameraucana crosses with another breed, but most folks will tell you what that mix is and why. EEs from hatcheries are often attacked by modern Ameraucana breeders as being mixes, mutts and crosses. Hatchery Ameraucana are specificly early early lines that Hatcheries purchased when the Ameraucana was in development so are protype birds and thus will not meet the SOP for Ameraucana that the original Breeders of the Ameraucana finally after a lot of problems got the APAs approval. You need to understand the Araucana was the issue with the APA, they wanted the Ameraucana more different than it's related sister breed, both breeds come out of the same pool of birds imported to the USA, some breeders wanted the lethal gene that creates tufts others just wanted the beards no lethal genes. The original name of the Ameraucana was even an issue... so Hatchery Ameraucanas of the EE type represent this early genetic pool and thus show a huge range of genetics, tails, no tails, beards, no beards, different colored earlobes, tufts once in a blue moon, and many different egg colors. I learned this from one of the founder Ameraucana breeders. There is no point however in telling modern breeders this as many have invested themselves into the idea that all EEs are crossbreeds. If you start at the beginning of all the EE threads on BYC you will discover the EEs are fairly consistent on patterns, colors, pea combs, willow legs, eye color, beards, and most carry the blue egg gene... it is rare to get pink eggs, or tailless birds. So if your bird is Hatchery you have a proto-Ameraucana in its unfinished form, if you have a backyard bred bird then yes it could have other breeds but it will be difficult to guess, usually best to just ask. There are some great projects in the Olive Egger groups involving crossings. Your bird looks like a standard hatchery line bird to me though.

Hope this helps

Laura......... Perhaps you can tell me why the hatchery that I bought mine from called them Araucanas?

 

[Brynlee]

Kind of curious any guesses for Charlie? I love my Easter Eggers

 

[MidMaineChick]

Not great pictures but can anyone tell if this is a cockrell or not?
I have one white cockrell in this batch of 6 "pullets" whose comb is BRIGHT red and big, so I wasn't worried about this guy, but now this red ish one has jumped on another pullets back so I'm looking at it again... thoughts ? They are about 8 weeks. Oh, and the other roo has been crowing already

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Kind of curious any guesses for Charlie? I love my Easter Eggers

So far it's a pullet, but it looks young. How old?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Not great pictures but can anyone tell if this is a cockrell or not?
I have one white cockrell in this batch of 6 "pullets" whose comb is BRIGHT red and big, so I wasn't worried about this guy, but now this red ish one has jumped on another pullets back so I'm looking at it again... thoughts ? They are about 8 weeks. Oh, and the other roo has been crowing alreadyView attachment 1054719View attachment 1054720

The pics are too far away to be sure.

 

[WisteriaMoonChicken]

Also you can tell by their wings. Here, I can show you pictures of them if it's a girl or boy.

 

[MidMaineChick]

Also you can tell by their wings. Here, I can show you pictures of them if it's a girl or boy.
View attachment 1055097

Thanks, I'll try to get better pictures tonight after work. I'm still not sure what you mean by "you can tell by the wings" I see that those 2 pictures are different, but what are you looking for? Is it that males are brighter or have more black or???
Also, do pullets ever do the "piggy back" thing?

 

[Brynlee]

So far it's a pullet, but it looks young. How old?

I have had Charlie for about a month. Got her at CAL ranch on May 30th. And I'm not sure how old she was then. This is a picture of her the day after I got her.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I have had Charlie for about a month. Got her at CAL ranch on May 30th. And I'm not sure how old she was then. This is a picture of her the day after I got her.

Maybe a week or so in that pic, so that puts the chick at 5-6 weeks. From what I have read, wing sexing is only reliable on certain breeds that have the gene and are carefully bred. You look to see whether the ends of the wing feathers are all the same length or varied. I believe it only works when the feathers first come in.