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

[Wishing4Wings]

Thank you....have not heard a peep from either that sounded like the were trying to crow...I'll take an up to date pict of the pair.... I could't believe when I saw that one mount....all I could think of was that he was too young for that. He kind of separates himself for the most part...like he's the lookout!

Are you sure about the age? Maybe he's younger than we think. My accidental EE cockerel was very obvious by 10 weeks, but they do grow at different rates.


This was him at about 15 weeks. No mistaking he's a boy.

 

[LittleRedCoop53]

Quote:
I agree...both are pullets...you can tell by the single comb...males have three ridges

 

[mama2molly]

This was him at about 15 weeks. No mistaking he's a boy.

Here's my "what is it" at 17 weeks. Everybody on this thread has thought roo from the start. On the EE club thread, the majority is pullet. No crowing, no mounting. It doesn't look anywhere near as manly as yours, but has red. But the patterning is very even. ????

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Quote: At 17 weeks that is a pullet. No comb, no saddles, no crowing, no cockerel! You will just have to settle for a pullet, I guess.

The red is very deceiving, and at a younger age I would have thought cockerel too. I don't feel comfortable guessing unless there are at least two telling traits visible (or absent for a pullet), but sometimes I guess anyway.

One difference I see between these birds is that my guy RuPaul only has the red on the wing bow area, while your girl has the color extending fully down the primaries. I also see quite a bit of color across her breast, while RuPaul lost the few spots of breast color as he aged. So yeah, I think you're right about the even pattern. The red color itself can be tricky too, and hard to tell on a computer monitor. The pullet looks a little more brownish red, while RuPaul's red was a bit brighter looking (you can still see it underneath the orange glassy feathers that came in later).

Glad you didn't get rid of this not-cockerel prematurely! Show us the egg when it comes!!!

 

[abserbean]

I have a little EE mix that will be eight weeks old tomorrow. I posted pics at about 4-5 weeks, and we all agreed (myself included) that it looks like a cockerel. I did not know what it was mixed with, but it hatched from a green egg and has a pea comb with three rows, two outside ones smaller than the others. I now think it is an EE crossed with a BLRW, based on the feathers coming in on it's back. I am, however, no longer convinced it is a roo. At eight weeks, I would think it would be a little more obvious, but this one is tricky. The comb was red early on, but if my guess on a wyandotte cross is correct, their combs tend to redden and mature early. I'm thinking the feather pattern looks female at this point, the chick is large, but my other wyandottes were huge as chicks too. I have a BLRW pullet that everyone was sure was a roo until about 15 weeks of age, so as long as there is no crowing I will hold out and see, I may have a little olive egger pullet! I took a few pics this morning, a little blurry b/c the bugger wouldn't hold still. What do you guys think? Still a roo, or undecided now?

 

[sharol]

I have a little EE mix that will be eight weeks old tomorrow. I posted pics at about 4-5 weeks, and we all agreed (myself included) that it looks like a cockerel. I did not know what it was mixed with, but it hatched from a green egg and has a pea comb with three rows, two outside ones smaller than the others. I now think it is an EE crossed with a BLRW, based on the feathers coming in on it's back. I am, however, no longer convinced it is a roo. At eight weeks, I would think it would be a little more obvious, but this one is tricky. The comb was red early on, but if my guess on a wyandotte cross is correct, their combs tend to redden and mature early. I'm thinking the feather pattern looks female at this point, the chick is large, but my other wyandottes were huge as chicks too. I have a BLRW pullet that everyone was sure was a roo until about 15 weeks of age, so as long as there is no crowing I will hold out and see, I may have a little olive egger pullet! I took a few pics this morning, a little blurry b/c the bugger wouldn't hold still. What do you guys think? Still a roo, or undecided now?

She's pretty. This is my EE/BC Marans/BO cross with similar coloring with her spring crop of babies.

 

[abserbean]

She is beautiful! I hope if she is a she, that she turns out that nicely!

 

[mama2molly]

At 17 weeks that is a pullet.  No comb, no saddles, no crowing, no cockerel!  You will just have to settle for a pullet, I guess.    The red is very deceiving, and at a younger age I would have thought cockerel too.  I don't feel comfortable guessing unless there are at least two telling traits visible (or absent for a pullet), but sometimes I guess anyway.  

One difference I see between these birds is that my guy RuPaul only has the red on the wing bow area, while your girl has the color extending fully down the primaries.  I also see quite a bit of color across her breast, while RuPaul lost the few spots of breast color as he aged.  So yeah, I think you're right about the even pattern.  The red color itself can be tricky too, and hard to tell on a computer monitor.  The pullet looks a little more brownish red, while RuPaul's red was a bit brighter looking (you can still see it underneath the orange glassy feathers that came in later). 

Glad you didn't get rid of this not-cockerel prematurely!  Show us the egg when it comes!!!

Thanks so much! I'm glad I hung on to her, too. Though she did have me convinced for a short time when she was younger.

Love the name of your boy, BTW!

 

[Wishing4Wings]

I have a little EE mix that will be eight weeks old tomorrow. I posted pics at about 4-5 weeks, and we all agreed (myself included) that it looks like a cockerel. I did not know what it was mixed with, but it hatched from a green egg and has a pea comb with three rows, two outside ones smaller than the others. I now think it is an EE crossed with a BLRW, based on the feathers coming in on it's back. I am, however, no longer convinced it is a roo. At eight weeks, I would think it would be a little more obvious, but this one is tricky. The comb was red early on, but if my guess on a wyandotte cross is correct, their combs tend to redden and mature early. I'm thinking the feather pattern looks female at this point, the chick is large, but my other wyandottes were huge as chicks too. I have a BLRW pullet that everyone was sure was a roo until about 15 weeks of age, so as long as there is no crowing I will hold out and see, I may have a little olive egger pullet! I took a few pics this morning, a little blurry b/c the bugger wouldn't hold still. What do you guys think? Still a roo, or undecided now?

Well, tough one, huh? Just the size of the comb makes me think cockerel, but I'm not very familiar with Wyandottes. They have a rose comb (?) so how that melds with a pea comb...

Looks like it isn't growing wattles, even without the beard, so that makes it even harder to tell. Too pretty to give it up until you're sure! Hope you can keep us updated.

 

[abserbean]

Yeah, just not sure with this one. The comb is modified pea I think, which would explain why it is more prominent? No wattles yet, and even though the comb is pretty red, it hasn't increased or changed much in the past three weeks. Overall shape, stance looks female, but the legs are pretty thick. However, my other two wyandottes have huge legs and are both pullets, so I just don't know! That is the crazy thing with mixes, never know what you are going to get! I was so convinced this was a roo, but now just not sure. He/she is a sweet chicken, and no crowing or bossy behavior yet, so we will hang on and see what happens. I am actually pretty interested to see how this one turns out, so I will let you guys know in a few weeks (hopefully) what we have!