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

Thanks Faraday! I appreciate your input and taking the time to look at them. I cannot tell if the last one's neck feathers are pointed or if the two toned color is making it look that way. I am thinking the second one is a pullet, but the first and third are tricky. I'll keep updating!

Unfortunately, none of my EEs are friendly. :( They are a little spastic. But it's my fault because I was unable to spend more time while they were bitty chicks. Oh well, there's always next year! ;)
 
If you have a few min a day: Try just sitting on the ground with some treats. Mine love mealworms, but a bit of bread or clover also work. Call them (make up what you want your "Call" to be) & place some treats near you. Don't bother trying to touch them. Just let them gain some trust. After a few sessions, they'll start coming to you as soon as you call. Next try hand feeding & light petting while they're eating. When they see you as a bringer of treats & no longer fear your reach, you'll be able to scoop them without any issues.

Another nice thing about doing the call is that you'll never have to chase chickens around the yard to get them back into the run/coop. A drawback might be the chicken parade that will take place whenever you walk around your backyard. They may get underfoot & always want to help with everything.
 
Rooster vs Pullet stance: It's hard to capture on film, but the boys tend to stand more upright (1st pic), while the pullets have a more rounded body posture.
These are my orpingtons (not EEs), but hopefully you can see what I mean.

Another thing we've noticed is that my daughter's favorite is ALWAYS a male. I think its because initially they have more personality & are the 1st to come running to greet you.


The ones that come running to me are usually pullets, thank gosh!
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If you have a few min a day: Try just sitting on the ground with some treats. Mine love mealworms, but a bit of bread or clover also work. Call them (make up what you want your "Call" to be) & place some treats near you. Don't bother trying to touch them. Just let them gain some trust. After a few sessions, they'll start coming to you as soon as you call. Next try hand feeding & light petting while they're eating. When they see you as a bringer of treats & no longer fear your reach, you'll be able to scoop them without any issues.

Another nice thing about doing the call is that you'll never have to chase chickens around the yard to get them back into the run/coop. A drawback might be the chicken parade that will take place whenever you walk around your backyard. They may get underfoot & always want to help with everything.
Mine are definitely the latter....^
(Too many treats! lol) I have a little feathered fan club that pretty much follows me whenever I'm outside.
 
I agree, the bringer of treats gets all the love. I did some socializing as chicks, but didn't have time for long sessions or anything. Now that they are grown and laying I am able to bring home veggie scraps from work a couple of times a week. Not only do they get excited to see cardboard boxes, but whenever I go into the run they will all come up to see if I have anything yummy and follow me around squatting if I get close. It has gotten so bad that I have had to physically pick up hens and move them from underfoot if I want to do anything.
 
Here are my darker two, which I think are pullets.
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Chicken-Hawk is a bit bigger than everyone else, but I don't really think you can use that as an honest to goodness roo indicator. I have a BSL that started off the runt and at 4 weeks exploded into monster chicken and has been much larger than her girlfriends ever since. Anyways, she doesn't have any dark red and is mostly that burnt orange looking color throughout, with some bluish underneath. I think she has a single comb? Not sure as I'm still green to all this chicken stuff. It's still really pale.





No name yet. This is my most favorite one. She as the coolest green legs, even the bottoms of her feet are green. Her coloring is pretty even throughout and the black around her neck is hemmed in white. Her comb looks like three rows, but is still really pale as well. Please don't let this one be a boy!
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Now watch all my light ones end up pullets and my cool dark ones be the roosters!
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Here are my darker two, which I think are pullets. :fl Chicken-Hawk is a bit bigger than everyone else, but I don't really think you can use that as an honest to goodness roo indicator. I have a BSL that started off the runt and at 4 weeks exploded into monster chicken and has been much larger than her girlfriends ever since. Anyways, she doesn't have any dark red and is mostly that burnt orange looking color throughout, with some bluish underneath. I think she has a single comb? Not sure as I'm still green to all this chicken stuff. It's still really pale. No name yet. This is my most favorite one. She as the coolest green legs, even the bottoms of her feet are green. Her coloring is pretty even throughout and the black around her neck is hemmed in white. Her comb looks like three rows, but is still really pale as well. Please don't let this one be a boy! :p Now watch all my light ones end up pullets and my cool dark ones be the roosters! :lol:
I say both are beautiful girls!:)
 

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