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

[donnavee]

I'm curious how much you can guess at adult coloring based on the down of the chicks... can you at all? We have two little chipmunk patterned babies with nice puffy cheeks, one little reddish brown EE and a black and brown EE with white and black wings. They're only a week old. I know you can't tell gender at all yet, I'm just curious what they might look like as hens/roos.



Huckle


Novalee


Tiny (in the front)


Buffle

Sorry if this is not a good place to post this! You can be sure I'll be coming back for gender guesses when they're older, even through I've read at least 100 pages and I think I'm starting to see what coloring patterns you all are talking about

I find that my EEs coloring changes a lot from their baby feathers to their adult look. As I remember, I had one that looked similiar to your Huckle and this is her today:



I really love watching them change as they grow. BTW, beautiful little ones.

 

[bruceha2000]

I'm curious how much you can guess at adult coloring based on the down of the chicks... can you at all? We have two little chipmunk patterned babies with nice puffy cheeks, one little reddish brown EE and a black and brown EE with white and black wings. They're only a week old. I know you can't tell gender at all yet, I'm just curious what they might look like as hens/roos.



Huckle


Novalee


Tiny (in the front)


Buffle

I don't think you can really tell (other than the Huckle will probably stay black

). Consider:


The bird on the top left turned into the orange bird in front:

You can start to see the orange coloring coming in on the first picture. NOT the mahogany red on the "shoulders" that suggests a cockerel

The one in the center (surrounded by yellow chicks) turned into:

(Also seen from behind in the prior picture)

She's the "chipmunk" on the bottom of this pic (at 1 week)


Bruce

 

[k9trnr]

I am one of those questioning my Easter Egger. She is solid white, a very large bird, crows loud with a tune to it and jumps on top my other birds. She is young yet, so hasn't started laying yet. Any ideas?

 

[Deerling]

Thank you so much Bruce and Donavee! Your girls are so lovely, and that is exactly what I was hoping for! Even if they don't turn out like your pretty hens it is fun to guess.

 

[missnu01]

Anytime you have a young chick with red on it's face already it is usually a rooster. Pullets don't start going red until they are getting ready to lay...but roosters combs start going red as soon as they start coming in.

 

[missnu01]

The comb is a little pink but I wouldn't give up on the chick just yet. Three row or one? Not sure what a PR pullet's comb looks like at this age. And the red feathering is going to make it hard to pick out the splotchy mahogany colored patches on the wings if it is a boy. Can't see the legs so no guesses based on thick legs (or not).


Other than leg thickness and comb, I don't think there is much you can guess about EE gender at 2 weeks. The splotchy patches on the males' wings won't show up until later. The one in front in the second picture has a very upright stance which I've read can suggest male, but sometimes they are just checking stuff out. I think they'll be generally Partridge patterned.

Bruce

Once a chick is fully feathered you can tell if it is a pullet or rooster by the comb...I can't tell before they are fully feathered though. I have a hard time with wing sexing anything. If a recently fully feathered bird has red on their face they usually turn out to be a boy. This method leaves no room for wondering, and has been right for me so far.

 

[GreatWhiteAfro]

Is it too early to tell if "Buffy" is a boy or girl, s/he is about 3 weeks old. Or do I need to wait a little longer???

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I am one of those questioning my Easter Egger. She is solid white, a very large bird, crows loud with a tune to it and jumps on top my other birds. She is young yet, so hasn't started laying yet. Any ideas?

This is probably a roo. Pullets don't get a big red comb like until they are a week or so from laying. You said this bird is young, but how old? My EE roo had a comb like that at 13 weeks. The pullets did not turn red until about 4+ months. I also think I see some rooster saddle feathers hanging down on either side of the tail as well. They are harder to see on solid colored birds, but they are long, thin, pointed, and shiny.



The bright orange long feathers at the base of the tail are the saddle feathers. If yours is a roo, he will have white ones.
This EE was about 15 weeks old here.

 

[k9trnr]

Thanks - I'm not really sure on the age. I ordered them, and they were to be 15 - 22 weeks. I'm thinking they were probably closer to the 15 week age. I have had them now 8 weeks. I have attached another picture I took today. Thanks for any input.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Thanks - I'm not really sure on the age. I ordered them, and they were to be 15 - 22 weeks. I'm thinking they were probably closer to the 15 week age. I have had them now 8 weeks. I have attached another picture I took today. Thanks for any input.

Those really look like saddle feathers hanging down just in front of the tail. Can't see the end of 'his' tail, but is it longer than the other pullets and maybe starting to curve down slightly? If you've got other EEs the same age, compare the combs. If they all look like this one's, then they are going to lay soon, but if the one you're showing has a much larger and redder comb, it's a boy. With chickens that are hard to sex, people wait for the definitive sign of laying eggs or crowing. From the behavior you described (crowing and mounting) and the way it looks, I think you have a young rooster. Did you order pullets? Will you be able to keep him? He's nice looking.