EE sexing question ** PICS ADDED**

[archerobx]

I have som EEs that I think are not pure. I was wondering at what age can you get an accurate determination of sex by just looking at them.
I am trying to figure it out myself before I ask yall for help.

thanks
Ryan

 

[Goose and Fig]

Well- no EEs are pure- they are all a mixes, basically. You can usually tell at 4 weeks, but sometimes it can be really difficult with the pea combs. Sometimes you can tell by the colors-
boys tend to have more black and red in teh wild-type patterns, while girls will be more soft colors.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Again, hard to tell with pea combs. I honestly didn't know til ours started crowing! He developed pointy feathers around that time too. Then again, he was in with our dominant rooster at the time so his "rooish" behavior was kept in check.

 

[LeBlackbird]

Pea combs are pretty straitforward to sex. At 6 weeks, sexing can be almost obvious!

Here is a young 7 week old Ameraucana Cockerel whose sex is obvious...

Basically, If It's large and red it's male. It It's a wide, 3 row, pinkish red comb It's male...

 

[Illia]

No EE is "pure."

There are indeed ways of sexing them though. One is the common way of looking at the comb. The other is by looking at the plumage after it grows in enough. Males and Females have certain patterns they each follow with set rules. It is a part of the fact that most EE's are duckwing based.

White EE's you cannot sex in this manner, but a general rule is that if the chick is turning out mostly brown and black - Females will have a normal brown colored head and chest, black barred or penciled appearance from the shoulders on back to the tail. Males will be a darker, rich red with less of the barred/penciled appearance, and more of a scattered black here and there. The shoulders will eventually grow in a rich, almost shiny red color and the tail will get quite green.

If the chick is growing up to be mostly white and black, a female will again have a mostly white head with an appearance of black penciling or barring on the back half of the body. It may have some salmony orange or red coloration show up on the chest, but that's usually about it. Males will be, again, less of a barred/penciled appearance and more of just simply a splattered or smudged scattering of black through their body. They will also start to grow red and gold coloration on their shoulders and/or neck and back. Their tails will be solid black and have a green sheen.

If the chick feathers out an odd multicolor, but is getting any gold or bright red in the mix, it is a male. If it is simply beginning to look like a wild Quail, it is a female.


Tell me if that was too hard to understand.

 

[ChickenWisperer]

Firstly, no EE can be pure. By definition, they are mutts.

The gender problem is easy at a certain age. But when they are younger, it's harder...

Sometimes you can tell by colors - males tend to be either a white-black "silver" variation, sometimes with color showing up in the wings. Sometimes, this is reversed where the roo is mainly black with white more on the face/hackles/breast/wings. But of course, you could have a wildcard boy in there.

Look for pointed feathers, aggressive/dominant behavior, and big feet. Or wait until you catch them crowing..

 

[LeBlackbird]

Well You've lost me

but I think I get what your saying, and your right, but EEs are never reliable... -sighs-

 

[tornado8070]

Quote:
Great post Illia. Thats exactly what I find with my EE's.

 

[clyde_97]

I know this may sound like a stupid question but what are EE's ????

 

[Illia]

Easter Eggers. The blue/green egg laying chickens that hatcheries/feedstores sell falsely as "Ameraucanas."