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

[Faraday40]

Here is my update on my 3 new EE chicks. Again, supposed to be girls, but let me know if you see boy in any of them along the way.

Cuteness overload! Love the puffy little faces.
Yes, still too early to tell. No male signs, because they all look like females until they don't. The only early sign could be slower feather growth = a male. It's not very reliable with EEs, though.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Here is my update on my 3 new EE chicks. Again, supposed to be girls, but let me know if you see boy in any of them along the way.

I almost don't want to say anything... It really is too early, but keep an eye on the center one. I see a wide bumpy comb compared to the other two. Also, it is very pretty, which boys often are. You want to see plain janes. There is enough variation in EEs that it could still be a pullet (hope it is) and it is feathering at the same rate as the others, which is a good sign, even pattern is good. Legs look slender, also a good sign. But that comb! Could easily have a rose comb (Wyandotte type) mixed in. We'll see. Post next week, please.

 

[KrystalRose]

Will do, yes the chubby cheeks are pretty awesome! Its funny you said to watch the middle one. I was thinking that the top one was looking slightly worry some since it is getting reddish shoulders, but more feathers will help me see how that will go. I honestly wouldn't mind a boy, my plan is to get a boy EE this spring.

 

[Wishing4Wings]

Oh, well if you want a cockerel... no worries then, either way!
I saw the patch on the first chick, but it seems to be more gold than red.
They'll change a lot in the next couple of weeks.
Can't wait to see how they turn out.

 

[Angie16hearts]

they are getting very hard to catch or hold! I have more pics of each one. I thought I would start here. Going on 6 weeks. I left a couple out that are clearly cockerels!

#

#3

#1

#2

Here's a few pictures of some of them

thank u for any thoughts !

 

[bruceha2000]

#1 is for sure ruler of the brooder, but is also larger then the rest. He/she makes sure it is the first to eat when I refresh the food and huddles the rest in a corner seemingly to protect them. I can not see any comb on it either. I was really hoping it was a rooster
#2 is a blue-ish color under the red so I think the feathering slower was an eye trick unless your referring to something else.

There will ALWAYS be one bird that rules the roost even when there is no rooster It might be the biggest chick and it can change as they get older and more dominate breeds win out. My Anconas aren't the biggest birds (the remaining EE and BIG Black Australorp are bigger) but they are in charge and remind the other girls of that FACT!!! with some frequency even though the batch is going on 3 years old and have never lived with any other chickens.

I almost don't want to say anything... It really is too early, but keep an eye on the center one. I see a wide bumpy comb compared to the other two. Also, it is very pretty, which boys often are. You want to see plain janes. There is enough variation in EEs that it could still be a pullet (hope it is) and it is feathering at the same rate as the others, which is a good sign, even pattern is good. Legs look slender, also a good sign. But that comb! Could easily have a rose comb (Wyandotte type) mixed in. We'll see. Post next week, please.

There is no red on the wings of #1. But I think they are too young for that to show up, maybe at 6+ weeks?? Look back at Catie79's post #7903 of her beautiful boy on page 791. Nothing at 5 weeks, clearly there at "about 3 months" even though it is more of a paint splatter than a solid patch.

 

[Faraday40]

#

The gold one with the black head has a 3 row pea comb. That's an indication of a male. If it starts looking slightly pink, you'll know for sure. (I have heard of, but never actually seen a female with a 3-row pea comb. It's very rare.)

This one I just can't tell. I'm guessing it's mixed with a red breed, so the rule about the red on wings & chest cannot really be applied. The comb is still pale, so that's a good sign.

Training tip:
Try sitting out there with them & let them take mealworms from your hand. Don't even bother trying to catch them, just let them get used to you as a source of delicious treats. Soon, you'll have them jumping up into your lap & following you around the yard.

I've never had to chase a chicken. I make them come to me.
Here's what mine do when they see me coming or hear me call:


If you do not have time for training, picking them up at night when they're roosting is another way to catch them easily.

 

[Faraday40]

#3

These two look like pullets to me.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Pperfect! These two are actually the sweetest! I'm looking at a lot of cockerels ! The pure black one I'm wondering about. The other black has one red patch on chest. I assume cockerel. I have a massive one from a EE and RIR I definitely think is cockerel. I'm having a hard time figuring these chicks out all I see is red and black. Momma let my Roo do his thing yesterday. Does this mean she's close to leaving them?

this is not the black one with red. It has no color besides the white dots around mouth but doesn't stand like a Roo.

 

[Angie16hearts]

Training tip: Try sitting out there with them & let them take mealworms from your hand. Don't even bother trying to catch them, just let them get used to you as a source of delicious treats. Soon, you'll have them jumping up into your lap & following you around the yard. I've never had to chase a chicken. I make them come to me. Here's what mine do when they see me coming or hear me call: If you do not have time for training, picking them up at night when they're roosting is another way to catch them easily.

My big girls all know when I'm coming. They like to meet me at the back door and are very friendly. I did just start giving the babies treats so they are removing closer to me that my seven-year-old likes to have a little bit of fun and scares them off. Thank you for your input I am hoping that I at least get two pullets! If not I'm going to buy an incubator and test each one of my hands to see who is giving me cockerels.