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

[hawaiichicka]

We have 2 gold stars and 3 Easter Eggers..my sons are telling me the darkest EE is a Roo, well if he is than he is a friendly Roo who will need a new home. They are 2 days shy of 5 weeks old.

 

[boyswillbeboys]

Here is my most likely roo, I'm sure there are more in 12 straight run chicks, but none of them are yet showing any tell tale signs. I would be extra ordinarily happy if I only had one roo but I'm not expecting it.

Edit: seemed like better pictures before I posted.

 

[wickedhens]

I

I think my EE on the left is a roo his tail feathers are more sleek and at 5 weeks old he has lil roo traits. The other I believe is a pullet Would love some opinions, I have never had EE's before would love to keep both but have bad luck with roos and kids


possible pullet?

possible roo?

 

[Wishing4Wings]

We have 2 gold stars and 3 Easter Eggers..my sons are telling me the darkest EE is a Roo, well if he is than he is a friendly Roo who will need a new home. They are 2 days shy of 5 weeks old.

Yes, your sons are correct. The darkest one is a cockerel. Based on coloring, I would also watch the brown EE. The pics aren't clear enough to be sure, but that bright, patchy coloring is usually cockerel coloring. The very light one looks like a pullet.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Here is my most likely roo, I'm sure there are more in 12 straight run chicks, but none of them are yet showing any tell tale signs. I would be extra ordinarily happy if I only had one roo but I'm not expecting it.



Edit: seemed like better pictures before I posted.

It is so hard to get good pics of squirmy chicks. This one has such bright, pretty coloring, it's most likely a cockerel.

that he's the only one! Wouldn't that be something?!

 

[FVRM]

Here is my most likely roo, I'm sure there are more in 12 straight run chicks, but none of them are yet showing any tell tale signs. I would be extra ordinarily happy if I only had one roo but I'm not expecting it.



Edit: seemed like better pictures before I posted.

This is 100% roo. look at the red on his wings.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I think my EE on the left is a roo his tail feathers are more sleek and at 5 weeks old he has lil roo traits. The other I believe is a pullet Would love some opinions, I have never had EE's before would love to keep both but have bad luck with roos and kids

The one on the right is a pullet, with the rosy breast. I think the one on the left also looks like a pullet. That even pattern on the wings without patches of color is a pullet pattern. I would look at the breast color and at the comb for confirmation, but could not tell from the pics. Young pullets often have pretty aggressive behaviors toward one another, which seem to be part of working out the pecking order. Young cockerels are often reported as being sweet and friendly (although my guy was aloof and standoffish from the first weeks).

 

[hawaiichicka]

Thanks for the warning! I was worried about that coloring but since my sons who have raised lots of chicks before didn't say anything I was hoping it was a pullet...We have never had EE's before and they are the friendliest chicks! Compared to the Gold Stars they are calm and like to be held. Looks like we need to buy a few more. Are the white EE's more likely female? Are there any tricks to picking out females EE chicks? Thank You Wishing4wings!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Thanks for the warning! I was worried about that coloring but since my sons who have raised lots of chicks before didn't say anything I was hoping it was a pullet...We have never had EE's before and they are the friendliest chicks! Compared to the Gold Stars they are calm and like to be held. Looks like we need to buy a few more. Are the white EE's more likely female? Are there any tricks to picking out females EE chicks? Thank You Wishing4wings!

We'll both keep hoping for the brown one to be a pullet. If you can post some clearer pics of it, maybe we could tell.

I don't know of any reliable way to distinguish males from females by fuzz color. (If you could tell, they would be auto-sexing, which would be really cool!) Early on in this thread, a knowledgeable person said that yellow chipmunks with lots of dark eyeliner were usually boys. Whether her experience holds true over time and for all hatcheries, I don't know. Faced with a brooder full of chicks, I would look for those with slender legs and avoid chicks with thick legs. Not fool proof, but should increase your odds at least little.

 

[subhanalah]

We'll both keep hoping for the brown one to be a pullet.  If you can post some clearer pics of it, maybe we could tell.

I don't know of any reliable way to distinguish males from females by fuzz color.  (If you could tell, they would be auto-sexing, which would be really cool!)  Early on in this thread, a knowledgeable person said that yellow chipmunks with lots of dark eyeliner were usually boys.  Whether her experience holds true over time and for all hatcheries, I don't know.  Faced with a brooder full of chicks, I would look for those with slender legs and avoid chicks with thick legs.  Not fool proof, but should increase your odds at least little.  

also avoid chicks with poofy looking combs, those in my experience turn into boys. Not all boys have poofy combs at hatch though. Just avoid the bigger looking combs in general (I think we all knew that lol)