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

[annie82005]

2 week old EE. Any clues? I know it's a bit early...

 

[redriver]

Thanks so much to all of you for posting pictures and making guesses. I am a total novice, but after a few dozen pages I started a game where I made my guess before reading the answer posts. Got pretty good by the end of the thread!

Anyway, I have *17* chicks in my brooder, and it is getting pretty crowded these days. Where I live, it is still too cold for them in the coop at night, even with a heat lamp. So, at 4 weeks, I'm thinking of weeding out the (maybe, possibly) definite boys. Will take new photos tomorrow in the daylight. Eight of the eggs I hatched came from a lady with an Ameraucana, a Marans, and an EE roo, and Ameraucana, Marans, EE, and OE hens. None of them are pure Marans, just based on egg color, but I've been told that two might be pure Ameraucana. We'll see if any of you agree. Luckily, the person who is taking all of my "boys" will be happy to give back any that turn into pullets.

 

[redriver]

Please let me know what you guys think of these 4 week olds. All of these are clean legged, so I don't think any of them are the pure (dubious purity/quality) Marans

#1 Body

#1 Head

#2 Body

#2 Head

#3 Head

#3 Body

#4 Head

#4 Body

#5 Head

#5 Body

#6 Body

#6 Head

 

[CGinJCMO]

Well, it's never too early to be wrong...by the way, I like the colors of your birds

Please let me know what you guys think of these 4 week olds. All of these are clean legged, so I don't think any of them are the pure (dubious purity/quality) Marans

#1 Body
The dark red "collar" makes me think boy
#1 Head
but the comb is still pale so not sure
#2 Body
(I like the white tips - kinda like a mille fleur)
#2 Head
comb seems a bit pinker so I'm thinking boy
#3 Head

#3 Body
thinking pullet but scared of the darker collar feathers
#4 Head
comb still pale so think it's a girl, however, comb is mixed so you might get green/olive/brown eggs
#4 Body

#5 Head

#5 Body
At this time, I'm leaning towards pullet
#6 Body

#6 Head
Another one I'm thinking pullet

Hopefully, more people will chime in and give you more opinions. Either that, or wait 4 more weeks and it'll be more obvious - either the combs will show more red/pink or the feather colors will tell us more (they still have fuzzy baby heads).

CG

 

[NJchixs]

Please let me know what you guys think of these 4 week olds. All of these are clean legged, so I don't think any of them are the pure (dubious purity/quality) Marans #1 Body #1 Head #2 Body #2 Head #3 Head

#3 Body #4 Head #4 Body #5 Head #5 Body #6 Body #6 Head

The only one that's looking possibly like a cockerel is number two.

 

[kisslerclucks]

redriver: Your chicks are beautiful! Would love to see updated pics as they get older!!!

 

[redriver]

redriver: Your chicks are beautiful! Would love to see updated pics as they get older!!!

Thanks everyone! Will keep an eye on one and two for another week, and then give them the boot if they still look like boys. I am really loving the colors I got from these eggs. There were a few more that I didn't post because I am pretty certain of the sex, but they are really pretty. There is a Wheaton pullet that you can sort of see in the #2 Head picture. A pure silver gray boy. And a lighter version of #3. I actually thought I had gotten a picture of her, but when I looked closely at the photos I realized it was the same bird. Will post more photos once their feathering comes in better. I'm loving #6 right now. The lacing on her neck has only just shown up in the past week or so.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote:
Well now, I'd hold off on getting rid of this one for a couple of weeks. Wait for the comb to look more like your white&black probable cockerel before doing anything hasty. The color pattern is spread fairly evenly, so a pullet is possible I think. Too pretty not to be absolutely sure. At 6 weeks it's usually the pullets that are not friendly, so behavior-wise, it's often the friendly youngsters that are males.

The black fluffy feathers under the beak make the beard. Muffs are the fluffs in the "cheek" area. EEs usually don't have wattles, and when the beard is absent, the chicken looks really different!

Post pics next week, if you can. I'd really like to see how both look. Keep comparing combs.

 

[salt and pepper]

What do you think this is?

 

[debid]

What do you think this is?

I'd put money on cockerel! That row of well-defined peas already pinking up at three weeks is exactly what I saw on my EE cockerel. He got the drops of deep red appearing on the wing bow and upper back about the same time.