Easter Eggers, pullets or cockerel?

[Kerrismama]

I have two 12 week old chicks I'm just not sure of. I really thought they were pullets until recently. Opinions would be greatly appreciated. If they're cockerels, that means i only ended up with 1 pullet out of 18 chicks that hatched. :/

1)

2)

ETA: The lacing pattern on their hackles make the feathers look pointed, but they're actually more rounded and blunt at the ends.

 

[Hybridchucks]

Pick them up one by one and put them on their back in your hands and if they hod their legs tight to their belly its a pullet.Do the same with another bird and if it lets one leg go to the direction of its tail, its a cockerel! See if that works x

 

[JaeG]

They look like girls to me. Have a look under their outer feathers at the base of their tails for very skinny, long, pointed 'saddle feathers' coming through. If they have those then they are boys, but if they are 12 weeks old I'd say they are girls looking at their feathering. I have a 9 week old Orpington I was pretty sure was a boy despite his fast and very fluffy feathering. I looked on him yesterday for these feathers and there they were. He also started crowing.

What made you worry they were cockerels? If they are having little tussles it just means they are sorting out their pecking order.

They do have very pretty lacing.

 

[Gray Farms]

Look like pullets to me.

 

[ProfNancy]

Saddle feathers on my EE, Sugar in the Raw. 2nd pic is saddle feathers on Mocha

 

[Kerrismama]

Honestly, I think it may be paranoia more than anything. I had another I was sure was a pullet, until his comb and wattles suddenly turned bright red and he started sprouting green sickle feathers. He was a runt though, and a different breed from these two. They are both getting quite pink in the comb, and the one with the thicker feathered legs has red on it's face right where it would have wattles. I started second guessing myself. I really want them to be pullets. I'm going to run out of room in my freezer otherwise. Lol. Seriously though, I have 24 cockerels right now. I really don't need anymore.

 

[Kerrismama]

Thank you! That's very helpful. Their feathers definitely look like Sugar's.

Saddle feathers on my EE, Sugar in the Raw. 2nd pic is saddle feathers on Mocha

 

[donrae]

Those are pretty little pullets.

24 cockerels

I thought I had it bad this year, but I'm not quite that bad.

Hopefully these ladies give you nice colored eggs.

 

[Kerrismama]

Yeah, I was surprised myself. I expected to have extra boys, but we're definitely on testosterone overload around here. Since I'm starting a bielefelder breeding program this year and I free range, only the little biele boys get to stay. I only have enough girls for 3 more cockerels (4 total, including my mature roo). I did manage to find homes for my two favorite EE boys with my new neighbors, but the market here is so flooded with "unexpected" roos. I'm not even going to try with the rest. I'm really glad the general consensus is pullets. They are pretty, and very sweet.

Those are pretty little pullets. 

24 cockerels   I thought I had it bad this year, but I'm not quite that bad. 

Hopefully these ladies give you nice colored eggs. 

 

[drumstick diva]

Nice pullets