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

[LadyCluck77]

Hi everyone,

I'm brand new here and fairly new to chickens in general. We own two Barred Rock ladies and a Chanticleer rooster (all three were wedding gifts to my husband and I last year!) and, in our quest for blue eggs, we just purchased some Easter Eggers. Also, one Spotted Sussex, for fun, because it was available and the breeder said they are nice birds!

So, here's a photo of our six new babes. They are nearly two weeks old. If there are any tips for what to watch for at which age markers, to determine sex, that would be of great help!

Can you get either a side shot or a shot from above of the wings on that first one. Not by any means do I claim to be an expert- Mine almost always feather out with two clear rows of wing tips on the males and three clear rows on the females- right around the 2-2 1/2 week mark- it's probably just the strain of birds I use, but I'd like to make predictions on yours just in case- just for fun.

 

[Maggiee]

Can you get either a side shot or a shot from above of the wings on that first one. Not by any means do I claim to be an expert- Mine almost always feather out with two clear rows of wing tips on the males and three clear rows on the females- right around the 2-2 1/2 week mark- it's probably just the strain of birds I use, but I'd like to make predictions on yours just in case- just for fun.

Sure! Here you go. I'm really, really hoping this one is a hen. S/he is my favourite.

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Sure! Here you go. I'm really, really hoping this one is a hen. S/he is my favourite.

Way way too young to tell. No secondary sex characteristics

 

[LonelyPageTurne]

Sure! Here you go. I'm really, really hoping this one is a hen. S/he is my favourite.

You can sort of screen I suppose. Compare leg thickeness. The thicker leg birds are potentially cockerels. No guarantees though. You need to wait for more feathering.

 

[Ludsfunnyfarm]

So excited I found this thread!

[/IMG]My husband and I are having a difference of opinions about 2 of our "hens". What do you all think?

 

[LadyCluck77]

Here is a decent pic of the other EE from this small batch, the one I think is a hen- these two EE's have the same parents, the father is a Brown Leghorn rooster and the mother is an EE.



The reason I believe she is a hen is that she so closely resembles a typical Brown Leghorn hen, in her coloring. Her brother is showing red coming in, particularly in patches on his wings and back. They do both have a pea comb, but not every individual from these two parents did get the pea comb.

I hatched six more EE's for the Easter hatch a long, four of them got the Pea-comb. Two got large single combs.

Here is a much younger sibling, of the same two parents, who is certainly a boy, who got the typical Leghorn style single comb. He was from my Easter batch so he hatched around April 19th or so. This picture is a week old. He has even more patchy feathers now, and the comb is bigger. His color pattern is pretty much the same as his brother but he has the single comb. The other single combed EE turned out Melanistic, and is super-dark but with mahogany-red feathers coming in on the wings. There has got to be a Punnet Square project somewhere in all of this!

 

[Ludsfunnyfarm]

OK, I will try this again (sorry technology is not my friend). What do you all think?

 

[LadyCluck77]

Sure! Here you go. I'm really, really hoping this one is a hen. S/he is my favourite.

Disclaimer: These are just guesses based on how my strain tends to develop- I use a leghorn rooster and I think that's the only reason it works. I am not an expert, just a backyard keeper- Please Do NOT euthanize any of the males yet based on these guesses. You should always wait and see if they are roosters with certainty.


My guesses:
#1- ? Still can't really tell
#2- female
#3- male
#4-female
#5- female
#6- male

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Here is a decent pic of the other EE from this small batch, the one I think is a hen- these two EE's have the same parents, the father is a Brown Leghorn rooster and the mother is an EE.



The reason I believe she is a hen is that she so closely resembles a typical Brown Leghorn hen, in her coloring. Her brother is showing red coming in, particularly in patches on his wings and back. They do both have a pea comb, but not every individual from these two parents did get the pea comb.

Looks like a pullet to me!

 

[Maggiee]

Disclaimer: These are just guesses based on how my strain tends to develop- I use a leghorn rooster and I think that's the only reason it works. I am not an expert, just a backyard keeper- Please Do NOT euthanize any of the males yet based on these guesses. You should always wait and see if they are roosters with certainty.


My guesses:
#1- ? Still can't really tell
#2- female
#3- male
#4-female
#5- female
#6- male

Thanks for the guesses, LadyCluck! I know it's probably way too early to tell. Of course we won't make any decisions until we know for sure once they are several months old.