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

[abserbean]

My three pullets are a mixed bag on the combs, the three row comb rule does not seem to apply at my house! My older two EE's have single row combs, but out of my three younger, I have one single, one with partial three, maybe considered modified, and one with three rows. Crazy chickens!
Here is my single row comb girl, Daisy23 weeks

My partial three row, maybe modified? Cupcake, 23 weeks



And my three row I was asking about earlier, I'm pretty positive this one is a girl, but she is younger. Olive, I think she is about 11/12 weeks, but I keep losing track.



Olive is an Amercauna covered by a BLRW roo, so she has traits of both. I had read that cross could produce a cushion comb, so maybe that is what she has? I haven't had a cushion comb chick before, so I'm guessing.

 

[NotableNancy]

Puzzled about my EE. She's been a regular blue egg layer from week 19 to about age 6 months and then, BOOM, nothing. Not one egg in over 6-8 weeks. I checked her for egg binding (nope, she's fine and happy). I have three other girls (2 buff Orpingtons and a Wyandotte) who are still laying regularly daily. No change in diet, they get grit and oyster shell, fruit/veggie peels/leftovers, etc. I give them dried meal worms for treats, some yogurt weekly, I've fermented their food a few days a month, etc. She's happy, healthy, active, vocal, etc. Anyone have any suggestions? Do I have a hen for a pet now?
She's in the middle here

I had an EE stop laying last winter. She was from a hatchery and born the beginning of March. Gave me nice green eggs when she turned 18 or 19 weeks old then stopped laying about November. Started up again in mid Feb. when the days started getting longer. And I even have a light in the coop but she still took a break. No obvious signs of molting either. I think some of their bodies just need a little break!
Pretty birds!!

 

[sharol]

Thanks Sharol, that makes some sense, I suppose. I'm hoping that molting doesn't occur yet, as we're entering into the cold months and they'll be COLD if they have nothing to keep them warm. I hadn't planned on eating my girls (I don't eat meat, but love their eggs), and will go so far as to say that when they all stop laying in a few years, I'll still keep 'em around, but I sure miss that one blue egg in the mix. Purely a visual and the ONLY reason I decided on an EE (although like most amateurs, we asked for an Ameracauna and received her (Paulette the spaz). Appreciate your reply so much!

 

[Faraday40]

About those naked chickens.....
Do all chickens lose all their feathers when they molt?

My hens were hatched July 2013, so most have not had a molt yet.
My first EE blew out all her feathers over a couple days & I soon noticed stubs. Two weeks later, she now has short feathers most everywhere, but not much tail yet. Is this typically what its like?

I have others with residual rooster damage from the spring. The bald spots have been there all summer, so I hope they molt soon. I'm getting nervous because it's getting cold here. Daytime temps of 50-60'F with naked chickens. At least when it drops to the 40s at night, the girls are snuggled together for warmth.

 

[sharol]

About those naked chickens.....
Do all chickens lose all their feathers when they molt?

My hens were hatched July 2013, so most have not had a molt yet.
My first EE blew out all her feathers over a couple days & I soon noticed stubs. Two weeks later, she now has short feathers most everywhere, but not much tail yet. Is this typically what its like?

I have others with residual rooster damage from the spring. The bald spots have been there all summer, so I hope they molt soon. I'm getting nervous because it's getting cold here. Daytime temps of 50-60'F with naked chickens. At least when it drops to the 40s at night, the girls are snuggled together for warmth.

No. My chickens are all different. My Campine looks awful when she molts. Patchy lost feathers, no tail, big bare spots. On the other hand, you can hardly tell when the buff orp molts. She loses feathers gradually and they come back in gradually and pretty soon she has all new feathers with no bare spots. I think it is just a case of individuals handling the situation differently.

They all molt, but some look like they are miserable and others barely seem to notice.

Try not to worry about the temperatures, really. They are tough and resilient. As my husband says when I'm fretting about the weather, "Chickens have been around since the dinosaurs. How did they ever survive without YOU?"

 

[bruceha2000]

Puzzled about my EE. She's been a regular blue egg layer from week 19 to about age 6 months and then, BOOM, nothing. Not one egg in over 6-8 weeks. I checked her for egg binding (nope, she's fine and happy). I have three other girls (2 buff Orpingtons and a Wyandotte) who are still laying regularly daily. No change in diet, they get grit and oyster shell, fruit/veggie peels/leftovers, etc. I give them dried meal worms for treats, some yogurt weekly, I've fermented their food a few days a month, etc. She's happy, healthy, active, vocal, etc. Anyone have any suggestions? Do I have a hen for a pet now?
She's in the middle here

I think she is prepping for moult. Mine (6 different breeds) moult at different times. The Partridge Chantecler and Anconas first. Cubalayas about the same time. Faverolles "kinda" next, EE and BA last. Mine are 2 years 3 months old. One Fav, the EE and the BAs have not yet moulted. The other Fav, the PC, Anconas and Cubalayas have all moulted.

Thanks Sharol, that makes some sense, I suppose. I'm hoping that molting doesn't occur yet, as we're entering into the cold months and they'll be COLD if they have nothing to keep them warm. I hadn't planned on eating my girls (I don't eat meat, but love their eggs), and will go so far as to say that when they all stop laying in a few years, I'll still keep 'em around, but I sure miss that one blue egg in the mix. Purely a visual and the ONLY reason I decided on an EE (although like most amateurs, we asked for an Ameracauna and received her (Paulette the spaz). Appreciate your reply so much!

Not to worry with regard to moulting during cold temps. I worried enough for both of us last year!

One BA moulted in mid Sept last year (first moult) and looks to be ready to moult again. Like yours, hasn't laid an egg in 2 weeks. The EE moulted in early Nov and I was worried she would be really cold. She was fine. The second BA moulted the FIRST WEEK of February THIS year! The coldest week of the year typically; -20F not at all uncommon. I WORRIED. She was fine.

I had to have a heat lamp over their water last winter when 3 of the nipples in my insulated & heated water pipe failed at the same time (still don't know why) the night before Thanksgiving. I thought the EE would hang by the heat source. Nope. When Echo moulted in February, I was SURE she would hang by the heat source. Nope. NONE of my chickens went near that heat lamp except to drink and during the really cold weather, only the 1/4 of the ring (1 gallon dish type waterer) closest to the lamp was liquid, the rest was ice. The water IN the top was liquid.

My three pullets are a mixed bag on the combs, the three row comb rule does not seem to apply at my house! My older two EE's have single row combs, but out of my three younger, I have one single, one with partial three, maybe considered modified, and one with three rows. Crazy chickens!

And my three row I was asking about earlier, I'm pretty positive this one is a girl, but she is younger. Olive, I think she is about 11/12 weeks, but I keep losing track.



Olive is an Amercauna covered by a BLRW roo, so she has traits of both. I had read that cross could produce a cushion comb, so maybe that is what she has? I haven't had a cushion comb chick before, so I'm guessing.

I'm kind of nervous about what appears to be a darker red blotch part way down the wing, near the neck feathers.

About those naked chickens.....
Do all chickens lose all their feathers when they molt?

My hens were hatched July 2013, so most have not had a molt yet.
My first EE blew out all her feathers over a couple days & I soon noticed stubs. Two weeks later, she now has short feathers most everywhere, but not much tail yet. Is this typically what its like?

I have others with residual rooster damage from the spring. The bald spots have been there all summer, so I hope they molt soon. I'm getting nervous because it's getting cold here. Daytime temps of 50-60'F with naked chickens. At least when it drops to the 40s at night, the girls are snuggled together for warmth.

None of mine lose all their feathers. The tails go, it is REALLY funny to watch a chicken running through the yard with tail feathers just falling out as they go. And they look pretty stupid with no tails, especially the Cubalayas which are game bird based with long tails that go down toward the ground. Other than that, they just look sort of ratty and there are feathers all over the place. Like Sharol said about her BO.

 

[Faraday40]

Thanks for all the descriptions of molting. It helps to know that there are diff versions of "normal." I was wondering if behavior also changes. My most bald hen (normally very out-going) runs away if I bend down to pick her up. She's a bit skittish or something - which is far from her normal personality. She is normally the first to cause trouble, investigate, & jump into my lap. Definitely strange to see her run away. She's also not bossing the other animals around.

 

[sharol]

Thanks for all the descriptions of molting. It helps to know that there are diff versions of "normal." I was wondering if behavior also changes. My most bald hen (normally very out-going) runs away if I bend down to pick her up. She's a bit skittish or something - which is far from her normal personality. She is normally the first to cause trouble, investigate, & jump into my lap. Definitely strange to see her run away. She's also not bossing the other animals around.

I was just noticing this morning that my Campine was being chased by one of the bottom hens and usually she won't take that behavior for a second. She acts embarrassed.

 

[abserbean]

I'm kind of nervous about what appears to be a darker red blotch part way down the wing, near the neck feathers.

I was watching those red patches too, but she has them all over, not just on the wing, and they aren't as red as they appear in photos. While I still won't say I'm positive she is female, I'm pretty sure. She doesn't have any male feathering or personality traits, and her overall stance is low with a fat bottom like a pullet. I'll keep watching her for a few more weeks, hopefully there isn't a change.

 

[Xiao Casa]

Sometimes it's hard to tell, if you can afford to wait then eventually it will become obvious... but it does seem rather feminine in shape.