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

[WVDoug]

Any guesses? Still hoping for a pullet, but thinking roo.

Don't know the age, but unless it's a bantam, at that size I'd definitely say roo.

 

[junebuggena]

I was concerned because I thought it was the tailless/rumpless gene that double dose was lethal. I do have a chick that has ear tufts, I don't remember if it was also the rumpless one too. I like the beards, but it's the comb that I try to watch out for the most...is it turning red and is it staying small and pea-like for blue eggs.

The tailless gene is not lethal, the tufted gene is though. It takes two copies of the gene to be fatal. Most Easter Eggers have muffs, not tufts. Muffs are the fluffy cheek feathers. It is a dominant trait but it is not fatal. Tufts are outward pointing feathers that grow by the ears.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

EE's are just so amazing with all the colors and how much they change from chick to adult too. I have two, already wishing I had gotten more
I'll post pics of my two. They are only about 3 1/2 weeks old.
Here's the first one. All the reading about the red scares me a little though. But this one has red everywhere. What do you guys think? Or is it still too young to tell? I really hope they are both girls, but I will continue to try to be patient and wait for that crow or egg




And here is the second EE. This one has a lot of gray throughout. I hope it stays.

Sorry, I'm going to put a damper on things, but I think both have more comb than pullets usually have at 3½ weeks. Also, it's a bit early for the cockerel red to be showing, so color is unreliable at this point as well. Not saying they aren't pullets, but I hope you post an update in a couple of weeks so we can see how they develop. Both are very pretty.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

OK @Wishing4Wings , are you ready for your weekly dose of silkie mixes???????????????? I also have my Japanese bantam/silkie mixes thrown in. I'll put my guesses down and everyone can put in their two cents. Think I managed to actually take a pic of each chick this time. It's getting easier to tell them apart. We are at 7 weeks old now. They come from the same roo and either EE or Black-tailed white Japanese bantam mom

EE/Silkie possible pullet

EE/Silkie Pullet

Japanese bantam/silkie pullet

Japanese bantam/silkie Questionable

Japanese bantam/silkie Questionable in front, roo in back

EE/Silkie roo

EE/Silkie roo

Also pics of 9 week old siblings (white silkie roo over same EE hen).
DJ

PJ

My little bantam barred rock, OJ, managed to sneak into both pics so you get a gratuitous shot of her.

Well, just when you think you know what you're doing trying to sex chicks, the Silkie crosses come back around!

Very humbling. I don't see any clues one way or the other in your questionable ones. Agree with your pullet/cockerel predictions too, but really is more like guessing on my part. Seems that the buff coloring is dominating so far. Are you seeing any red at all? Always thought DJ was a pullet, and since PJ isn't crowing (?) she must be a pullet too. Love little OJ. Where do you get a bantam rock?

The only one of the youngster I'm fully confident on is the white one, Mr. Obvious.

 

[bruceha2000]

Any guesses? Still hoping for a pullet, but thinking roo.

With that comb, I don't think you have to guess. Unless it is a bantam and near POL. My EEs combs didn't look that red until about a week before they started to lay at ~5 months. Actually, if it were near POL, I think the feather patterning would be much more uniform. Sorry.

I would be interested in seeing more pictures of the feathers though. Given the reddish brown coloring, it MIGHT be helpful for other with similarly colored birds that don't have definitive combs.

 

[katatonic123]

@Wishing4Wings It's so hard to see red with the buff. I think there are some darker feathers on the wings coming in on the last roo and up close it looks like he may have inherited a 3 pea comb. PJ is not crowing but her "speaking voice" is the strangest I've ever heard. Very scratchy and almost a squawk. As for OJ, we were looking for a barred rock replacement for the one we lost last year and Orscheln was not getting any in. Just happened to look in the bantam bin and thought a few were barred rocks so we took a chance. She is so little and so cute. She's about 2.5 weeks older than the bantams above but she's about the same size if not a tad bit smaller. And by figuring that I realized I posted the wrong age on DJ and PJ. They are 10 weeks.

 

[Gldnrose]

Sorry, I'm going to put a damper on things, but I think both have more comb than pullets usually have at 3½ weeks. Also, it's a bit early for the cockerel red to be showing, so color is unreliable at this point as well. Not saying they aren't pullets, but I hope you post an update in a couple of weeks so we can see how they develop. Both are very pretty.

Oh No
That will really stink! I just looked at the chicks and to me they barely have any comb, but these are also the first EE's I have ever had. Maybe the pictures make them look bigger, LOL
I will definitely post updates as they chicks grow.

 

[Annadurai]

These are my first EE's, I bought them sexed but as we all know that only gives a bit better chance to have more hens. I 'think' I have 2 maybe 3 roos in there and 7 hens. Any guesses as what I actually have? I am finding them a bit harder to sex. They are 9 weeks old.

 

[junebuggena]

These are my first EE's, I bought them sexed but as we all know that only gives a bit better chance to have more hens. I 'think' I have 2 maybe 3 roos in there and 7 hens. Any guesses as what I actually have? I am finding them a bit harder to sex. They are 9 weeks old.

The dark red and white one in the back and the one on the far right are cockerels.

 

[Annadurai]

That was my guess. Thanks!