EE 8 wks old. Hen or roo?

Thefluffybutts

In the Brooder
Jul 16, 2020
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I am concerned that my Beautiful 8 wk old EE might be a roo. (Not allowed to have them where we live) Is it too early to tell? Hard to get good pictures
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I have the pullet version of him. It’s the white one at the front
 

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I'd also say cockerel. And love his black beard! Signs from the pictures:
  • Comb is very red for that age
  • Pea comb is defined, 3-row
  • Splotchy feather patterning on the back
  • Very common coloring for EE cockerels (sort of a splash/Columbian look that a TON of EE males have)
None are definite signs, but the red comb at 8 weeks is about the biggest giveaway. Sorry :-( If you have enough hens and space and talk to your neighbors, you never know...it could work out.
 
Male. The pattern on the wings give it away. The 3 rows of bumps on the comb usually indicate male (but not always)! With this breed I go by more reliable things like color at day one and watch how it changes as they mature. The emerging duck wing pattern on the wing feathers and the amount of silver on shoulders & wings are both male features.
 
I don’t understand the 3 row pea comb

I have a picture for that! A lot of EEs have pea combs, including yours <--that may be an over-explanation, sorry. Males with pea combs often have more defined combs, starting as little chicks (though with EEs, there are no rules, so sometimes pullets have 3 rows, too).

See 9-week-old Ashley and Stilton in the attached photo. Both have pea combs, but Ashley's is sort of one, non-descript ridge while Stilton's extra red comb looks like an open pea pod. If you look closely, there are 3 defined rows: 1 on each side + the row of peas in the middle.

Cute little things.

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