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

[Richard Pryor]

Thanks @debid! I was afraid Brooklyn was a boy, but she's too friendly to be a roo! I have to say, I love this breed. Shirley Temple is my #1, and Brooklyn my #3 (after a very sweet RIR called Elsa). She flies to my shoulder (or the top of my head!) every time I get on my knees. She even flies to my forearm when I'm standing up.

 

[Richard Pryor]

Very nice looking bird @djunafarms! I bought 4 EE and only one looks like Shirley Temple. I will post pics of my other 2 tomorrow.

 

[junebuggena]

Can someone please help? I have a feeling my beloved Brooklyn is a boy. Pictures of Shirley Temple for comparison. Not sure how old they are but Brooklyn seems to have a longer tail. Not sure if this is a sign.

Shirley Temple

Brooklyn

Pullets.

 

[junebuggena]

I see so many easter eggers like Shirley Temple there. I have one too (see photo). My questions for those knowledgeable about EEs are (1) is this pattern always female, and (2) since the pattern is so common do we know what cross likely made it? Can you have a good idea of the breeds of the parents if your easter egger has this pattern?

View attachment 1049794

That coloring is female specific. And the vast majority of Easter Eggers are not mixed breeds at all. They just haven't been specifically bred to meet any breed standard.

 

[junebuggena]

I have a 10 week old Easter egger and I am not sure if it is a pullet or a roo.
Please help me figure it out.

Pullet.

 

[carolinasculpture]

Well, once again, it seems I am not to have a new rooster. Something got into my grow-out coop yesterday/last night and got my little roo! So sad! Would rats take down a 1 1/2 month old chick? I can't figure out what else could have gotten into there!

View attachment 1030113 View attachment 1030116 View attachment 1030117 View attachment 1030120 View attachment 1030121 View attachment 1030122 View attachment 1030124 View attachment 1030113 Ok, I think this one is a rooster; ( the one in the front in every pic with more than one chick) but am not sure about the other one. They are about a month old. Here are some pics of them together, ignore the nosy buff. Any thoughts appreciated!

Will try again next year...

 

[mymilliefleur]

I have a 10 week old Easter egger and I am not sure if it is a pullet or a roo.
Please help me figure it out.

That's a pretty pullet.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Well

I see so many easter eggers like Shirley Temple there. I have one too (see photo). My questions for those knowledgeable about EEs are (1) is this pattern always female, and (2) since the pattern is so common do we know what cross likely made it? Can you have a good idea of the breeds of the parents if your easter egger has this pattern?

View attachment 1049794

I don't think the pattern is strictly female, but red patches usually indicate a boy. As to EE genetics... tins of misinformation is out there. First EEs can be Ameraucana crosses with another breed, but most folks will tell you what that mix is and why. EEs from hatcheries are often attacked by modern Ameraucana breeders as being mixes, mutts and crosses. Hatchery Ameraucana are specificly early early lines that Hatcheries purchased when the Ameraucana was in development so are protype birds and thus will not meet the SOP for Ameraucana that the original Breeders of the Ameraucana finally after a lot of problems got the APAs approval. You need to understand the Araucana was the issue with the APA, they wanted the Ameraucana more different than it's related sister breed, both breeds come out of the same pool of birds imported to the USA, some breeders wanted the lethal gene that creates tufts others just wanted the beards no lethal genes. The original name of the Ameraucana was even an issue... so Hatchery Ameraucanas of the EE type represent this early genetic pool and thus show a huge range of genetics, tails, no tails, beards, no beards, different colored earlobes, tufts once in a blue moon, and many different egg colors. I learned this from one of the founder Ameraucana breeders. There is no point however in telling modern breeders this as many have invested themselves into the idea that all EEs are crossbreeds. If you start at the beginning of all the EE threads on BYC you will discover the EEs are fairly consistent on patterns, colors, pea combs, willow legs, eye color, beards, and most carry the blue egg gene... it is rare to get pink eggs, or tailless birds. So if your bird is Hatchery you have a proto-Ameraucana in its unfinished form, if you have a backyard bred bird then yes it could have other breeds but it will be difficult to guess, usually best to just ask. There are some great projects in the Olive Egger groups involving crossings. Your bird looks like a standard hatchery line bird to me though.

Hope this helps

 

[djunafarms]

Well


I don't think the pattern is strictly female, but red patches usually indicate a boy. As to EE genetics... tins of misinformation is out there. First EEs can be Ameraucana crosses with another breed, but most folks will tell you what that mix is and why. EEs from hatcheries are often attacked by modern Ameraucana breeders as being mixes, mutts and crosses. Hatchery Ameraucana are specificly early early lines that Hatcheries purchased when the Ameraucana was in development so are protype birds and thus will not meet the SOP for Ameraucana that the original Breeders of the Ameraucana finally after a lot of problems got the APAs approval. You need to understand the Araucana was the issue with the APA, they wanted the Ameraucana more different than it's related sister breed, both breeds come out of the same pool of birds imported to the USA, some breeders wanted the lethal gene that creates tufts others just wanted the beards no lethal genes. The original name of the Ameraucana was even an issue... so Hatchery Ameraucanas of the EE type represent this early genetic pool and thus show a huge range of genetics, tails, no tails, beards, no beards, different colored earlobes, tufts once in a blue moon, and many different egg colors. I learned this from one of the founder Ameraucana breeders. There is no point however in telling modern breeders this as many have invested themselves into the idea that all EEs are crossbreeds. If you start at the beginning of all the EE threads on BYC you will discover the EEs are fairly consistent on patterns, colors, pea combs, willow legs, eye color, beards, and most carry the blue egg gene... it is rare to get pink eggs, or tailless birds. So if your bird is Hatchery you have a proto-Ameraucana in its unfinished form, if you have a backyard bred bird then yes it could have other breeds but it will be difficult to guess, usually best to just ask. There are some great projects in the Olive Egger groups involving crossings. Your bird looks like a standard hatchery line bird to me though.

Hope this helps

Wow, that was extremely interesting, thank you very much for taking the time to write that very comprehensive response! And you are correct, she is from a hatchery. I'm very glad to know a little about her history now.

 

[Robin37]

I am posting some pictures of my EE bantams about 8 weeks old. Here is what I have been thinking. The white and black one is a male, the buff and black is a male, the almost solid black with a touch of white on its wings is a female, the mostly white with buff spots is female, and the tri color that I will post first is a male. I don't know