EE chick, roos feather in like this?

[vjbakke]

I have 4, 3 week EE chicks, sexed female.I have noticed that one of them is feathering a little different that the other three. Mainly noticed that the feathers on the legs are starting to come in and the others there's nothing yet. That one gets much more freaked out being handled than the rest and was trying to peck my hand when I was picking up the others. I just get paranoid that we will end up with a roo. We can't have one, I would be heart broken if it is a roo. What are the earliest ways to tell with EE?

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

can you post a picture?

 

[Dingo]

I dont recall my cockerel feathering in any differently. I did notice at 5 weeks he started showing the patchy color on his wings that indicates male. He also started getting red in the face around this age.
I did know prior to him feathering in that he was a cockerel as he and my wyandotte cockerel were the only two that would spar.
The pic below is of my cockerel when he was 5weeks old, notice the red patches on his wings.


This is a pullet at the same age for comparison, notice her color is much more uniform.

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

uh, by studying the description, i would say it is a rooster, because when we got our chicks, it would peck every other one. and it was bigger.

 

[scrabbles]

we have just sold 11 hens at 12weeks old and they were fine but we also have just found a good home for a roo at a local farm where i work so can see him when ever i like.
at about 5-10 weeks he hated being picked up but now he loves it so this maybe the same with yours!!!
i hope you can find a home for him as all evidence points towards him being a roo unlucky but they say only 1 in 6 are roos.

 

[vjbakke]

Funny thing is this chick is taller than the others but not as wide as the rest. It was the smallest of the chicks when we first got them. Because the chick is so crazy being held I can't get good pics. I guess time will tell. We have no one that would want a roo. DH relatives have all hens, and don't have much interest in having a rooster. If it is truly a roo we may have to cull it. I will keep and eye on it. We live in town and are chickens are outlaws so a rooster crow would be the end of them all! Would have to be culled/ taken care of before crowing.

Will the comb look different as well?

thanks

 

[vjbakke]

Do the roos get head feathers sooner than hens? Now the suspect chick is the only one getting head feathers, also getting a lot more neck feathers than they others. I will try to get pics but they are so darn skittish.
In fact the chick in questions name is Skitz!

 

[Nsampsel]

For your comb question...typically a roo's comb will get bigger & redder faster than a hen's. There are exceptions to this tho.

 

[vjbakke]

I had to put them in this cage to get pics it is not our brooder

They are all 4 weeks old.
Here's Skitz






Here is the other chicks:




It's probably way too early to tell? lol

 

[Nsampsel]

To me they all look like pullets. EE's don't have a set color or pattern to their feathering. Pullets tend to feather faster than roos. And I don't see red showing in any combs yet.