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

[dharmasister]

I think it's a big girl!

The comb is pale and no red on the wings.

YEAH!!! I paid more for hens, but I know that's not 100% accurate so I was bumming when I came home and saw she'd had a substantially greater growth spurt than the other two. Here's a photo of my darkest EE. Any thoughts on her?

 

[dharmasister]

Oops! Don't know what happened there!

 

[Cowgirl71]

I think it's a big girl!    The comb is pale and no red on the wings.

x2

 

[LadyCluck77]

I vote pullet.

 

[dharmasister]

Quote: Yes!!!

 

[RoosterLew]

Quote: You do not have to rehome him? Just buy 8 more girls for him

If my rooster had been clean faced and the hens have beards and muffs, would my chicks be clean faced or have beards and muffs? Reason I'm asking is that my chicks are now 6 weeks old and appear to be clean faced.

The Muff & Beard gene, from what I have read , is dominant. That would mean that if the mother has a muff and beard , but only carrying a single copoy of it, when mixed with a clean faced rooster some of the offspring could have it and some not.

It is also believed by some to have a dosage effect, where as a bird with 2 copies might have a much more prominent beard and muff than a bird with a single copy.

I have an EE Hen who has a much thicker muff and beard than her father, and her mother was clean faced...which would tend to disprove that theory? However there may be other genes in play that could enhance or reduce the muff & beard as well? I've wondered if the same things that cause one bird to have much fluffier under trimmings than another could have the same effect on beards? The EE Hen with the very full & fluffy face came from a Buff Orp cross....

 

[HanwellChickens]

Quote: One chick is EE/EE and the other is a Buff Orp/EE. I'm excited to see how they grow up.

 

[lablover]

You do not have to rehome him? Just buy 8 more girls for him

Haha! Not happening lol! Though that would be fun!

 

[HanwellChickens]

So, I`m going to look at some 2 month old olive eggers today. The pictures she sent me are not that great for looking at pullets, so that`s why I`m going to try to pick them out myself. The parents are a black copper maran/EE. How can I be sure that I'm bringing home pullets? I wish I was better at sexing chicks..lol

 

[abserbean]

At two months, the comb should be a pretty good indicator. Three rows of peas steer clear, and if they have a single comb they probably don't carry the blue gene, so look for pea combs. You probably won't see rooster type saddle feathers at two months, but if the overall coloring is patchy don't pick it. Look for a consistent overall pattern and a pale comb. Good luck!