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

[chirpyderp]

Somebody mislabeled the bin. Wouldn't be the first time. If all the chicks were identical, they weren't EEs. EE chicks would be a variety of colors.
Did you buy them at TSC, by any chance?

They were from my local hardware store, hatched at Hoover’s. What’s the difference between an EE and an Americana?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

They were from my local hardware store, hatched at Hoover’s. What’s the difference between an EE and an Americana?

To me, Americana means a non-standard Ameraucana... pea comb, beards/muffs, no wattles, green/slate legs, lay blue or green eggs, but can be any feather color.
EE (Easter Egger) used to mean the same thing, but I think the definition has changed on BYC, and it now seems to stand for any bird that carries a gene for blue shells that isn't a known breed, like a Legbar. It can be very confusing.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Yes it is very confusing.... the proof will be if it lays an egg and if it carries the blue gene by producing a green or blue egg.

Here are what my stolen birds laid... but they were not Hoover chicks

My missing girls... Landrace type Amercauna

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

They were from my local hardware store, hatched at Hoover’s. What’s the difference between an EE and an Americana?

I think the term EE has come to encompass all blue gene laying chickens not clearly part of a breed. They can also lay non blue gene eggs... less set traits not only in egg color but features... often they are part of breeding projects, such as the Aloha Chicken which started as an EE project and developed into a vision by that person... blue eggs, feather pattern and color, naked neck gene and so on... it has moved from project, to having fans breeding and keeping them all over... who knows maybe someday we will see an SOP. Americana is one of the names for EEs but also birds sold to hatcheries that Ameraucana breeders sold to them as the SOP was being developed and the APA kept changing it’s mind about the name of the breed and SOP traits... so sometimes they are pretty high % South American gene pool and sometimes not so much... it’s frustrating I know. If I can pick out what I call the Landrace type at a feed store I have a list of chick traits I am looking for... but this time around I am ordering chicks, so it will be a surprise what I get.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Yes it is very confusing.... the proof will be if it lays an egg and if it carries the blue gene by producing a green or blue egg.

Here are what my stolen birds laid... but they were not Hoover chicks

View attachment 2634063
My missing girls... Landrace type Amercauna
View attachment 2634064

They are beautiful. Someone actually stole them? How terrible.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

They are beautiful. Someone actually stole them? How terrible.

Yes, and a good chunk of the other birds too...

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Yes, and a good chunk of the other birds too...

You know what they used to do to cattle rustlers...
But since that's not an option, try game cams for peace of mind.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I am definitely putting in some sort of monitoring... and lots of locks... I used to hav3 a big dog... no one messed with the flock ever with the big dogs around... now no scary dog...

 

[Harmoni]

Updated pics. They are 8 weeks now.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

They all look like pullets except for Goldie, who is still a "maybe." I was expecting a larger redder comb and more black on the breast if a cockerel. No red patches on the wings either, so Goldie is either a slowly developing cockerel, or a pullet. Leaning toward pullet now, but the comb shot is not clear enough to be certain.