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

[abserbean]

This one is a hard one. It has the body of a hen but the rooster's comb. Usually, most cockerels by 8 weeks would have some dark patches on their wings already. This one seems to have even pattern without dark patches. So, I am going to vote hen. Please update once you know for sure. I am curious if it is a rare pullet with 3 row comb.

Yeah, this little chick has been a tricky one! I can usually tell fairly well by about 4-5 weeks, but not this one. Your right on your assessment, it's a roo comb on a hen body, so we will see what becomes of that! That's what I get for hatching out mixed breed eggs, it messes with the assessment. I could tell on the other three I hatched by three weeks, and they have all found homes, but just not sure with this one. I will update in a few weeks if there is any change, will be on the lookout for roo feathers or crowing.

 

[jtbass2756]

They both look like cockerels. I'm about 90% sure on the brown/speckled and about 99% sure on the black and white. Sorry. I know how hard it is when they're boys

Thank you so much... Well, its not too hard since I have been suspicious from day one. The comb, the hackles, the colorings, LOL...and especially when the colorful one mounted my EE!

You all on BYC have helped me so much...from how to keep my eye on the girls to how to build my coop. I haven't named either of them. But will be rehoming them and will be looking for 2 more. LOL, my dh really has a problem with too many chickens. Of course, if I get 3 to replace these he probably won't notice!

I have been working on my coop and run for months..by myself! LOL Still have small things to do before I'm satisfied with it.
(Recycled) Judy's Chickadee Coop First step out....of course its the older EE leading the way.
Love the look of my coop just before the lights go out.

 

[kenzier093]

Is anyone else getting the chick itch? Lol February is 5 months away, but I just can't wait to hatch some eggs and buy chicks! I think it's because of the cold air outside now it reminds me too much of spring.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Faraday, agree that both EEs are pullets. Sussex I don't know anything about, but that's a pretty big red comb and wattles!


jtbass, you were right, both are cockerels. If I ruled the world, they would come with a switch so we could turn off the crowing. Roosters are beautiful, and I would keep them around just for the enjoyment of looking at them.

 

[Xiao Casa]

I have a couple of Easter Eggers. This thread about color-sexing them is very intriguing to me, as I have often seen people say "I see pullet coloring" or "those colors indicate a cockerel". Until today I had no clue what colors to look for, thanks so much to all the many people who posted on this thread helping me finally understand!

This is my "maybe rooster". Though, after reading about the colors, I am not as sure. What do you think? I had thought I might just have to wait for either a crow or an egg. He/She is 7 weeks old.





I will post better pictures as soon as I can, these are what I had on hand from yesterday's photoshoot. Can't take new ones right now because it decided to rain and the camera is neither mine nor waterproof.

 

[Faraday40]

I have a couple of Easter Eggers. This thread about color-sexing them is very intriguing to me, as I have often seen people say "I see pullet coloring" or "those colors indicate a cockerel". Until today I had no clue what colors to look for, thanks so much to all the many people who posted on this thread helping me finally understand!

This is my "maybe rooster". Though, after reading about the colors, I am not as sure. What do you think? I had thought I might just have to wait for either a crow or an egg. He/She is 7 weeks old.





I will post better pictures as soon as I can, these are what I had on hand from yesterday's photoshoot. Can't take new ones right now because it decided to rain and the camera is neither mine nor waterproof.

Trust me that some are more difficult than others! At 7 weeks the color pattern looks even like a pullet, but there's more to it than that. I can't see the comb. If its a single row pea comb & still pale, likely a pullet. Males get thicker legs & have an upright posture. A female's back & posture look rounded. (Hard to capture on film b/c mine tend to look up when I enter coop or when a flash goes off.) You'll see this in your own observations. Finally, I find that the males tend to be sweethearts when young. Jump into your arms for snuggles & have "personality." My daughter's Fav is ALWAYS a roo.

 

[DoubleMM]

Top two look like pullets to me- one bearded and one un-bearded. Both look like pea combs, so good potential for blue egg gene. Your CS does appear to be male. All beautiful birds!

X2

 

[polarbearpilot]

I have a couple of Easter Eggers. This thread about color-sexing them is very intriguing to me, as I have often seen people say "I see pullet coloring" or "those colors indicate a cockerel". Until today I had no clue what colors to look for, thanks so much to all the many people who posted on this thread helping me finally understand!

This is my "maybe rooster". Though, after reading about the colors, I am not as sure. What do you think? I had thought I might just have to wait for either a crow or an egg. He/She is 7 weeks old.





I will post better pictures as soon as I can, these are what I had on hand from yesterday's photoshoot. Can't take new ones right now because it decided to rain and the camera is neither mine nor waterproof.

This one is 100% pullet. Even pattern, no dark patches on wings, slender legs, pale comb, female posture, and it looks exactly like one of my girls.

 

[bruceha2000]

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. ????

I would go pullet. As W4W said, the red is a pattern, not the wing splotch and it is not the burgundy red. The hackle feathers do look a little pointy but there are no saddle feathers.

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?

The colors are different in the pictures. The legs look greenish in the first but yellow (odd for an EE) in the second. Still, I'm not seeing that burgundy wing patch and I think that would be likely in a bird with that much orange in the feathers. Can't tell much from the hackle feathers since as you said, the bird is in motion. MAYBE a few saddle feathers curving out in that last picture?

I'm leaning pullet.

 

[RoosterLew]

OK. So here are my tough ones-- Again. They are now 9 weeks & I still see some signs of both genders.

Chick 1:
Dad= Brown & Black EE Hen: golden color EE with double black lacing
I'm leaning toward female, but not sure.






Chick 2:
Dad= Brown & Black EE Mom: Large White hen with big single comb, slight golden color on head, daily layer
My predictions change daily on this one. Light plays a factor. It's skittish & tough to photograph.




For Fun:
While taking the pics, the curious dog sniffed the chicken. I watched as the confused chicken jumped onto the curious dog's back. Dog didn't like it & started to walk away. Chicken got a doggie-back ride across the room.


Here's my Coronation Sussex also at 9 wks. I believe he's a male, b/c of red comb.

Girls

Is anyone else getting the chick itch? Lol February is 5 months away, but I just can't wait to hatch some eggs and buy chicks! I think it's because of the cold air outside now it reminds me too much of spring.

Your not the only one...One of girls went broody this week. I figured she knows best and gave her 2 Ameraucana and 2 EE eggs