Everyone's favorite game- Hens or Roos?

[horror_trashcan]

I got my suspicious looking birds together and snuck some pictures, some of them might be the same photo but trying to focus on a different chicken. Almost 9 Weeks
They're all EEs but if you have guesses on their genes let me know!
(bonus frizzle cockerel at the end!)
No.1

No.2
I was so excited when his colors started coming in but very quickly realized he's probably a roo

No.3

No.4

No.5

No.6

one on the left

No.7

No.8
One on the right

blurry I'm sorry!

No.9 On The Left

No.10

No.11 One on the right/middle

Here's that frizzle!

 

[WingItRanch]

#2 and #4 are cockerels.

Keep an eye on #10 too. I don't see any male specific pattern but the stance is suspicious.

The others look like pullets judging by these photos.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

#2 is the only definite cockerel I can see, but #4 has a pretty red comb, so I'd keep an eye on that one too. All the others are for sure pullets!

 

[JedJackson]

2 and 4, plus the frizzle, are all cockerels imo. I think 10 is a female.

 

[AinaWGSD]

2 and 4 look like definite cocktails to me. 1 and 5 look like pullets. All the rest have female specific color patterns. 10 looks to me like the same female specific pattern but diluted, possibly with lavender since that would affect both the red and black.

 

[Seaslug]

So I have been looking at a number of these posts, trying to get some sense of what people are looking for in sexing chickens. I didn't seen saddles in #2 and thought I saw different feathering in #9 from the hens with her same patterning. What was I reading incorrect, if somebody does not mind educating me?

 

[JedJackson]

So I have been looking at a number of these posts, trying to get some sense of what people are looking for in sexing chickens. I didn't seen saddles in #2 and thought I saw different feathering in #9 from the hens with her same patterning. What was I reading incorrect, if somebody does not mind educating me?

They are too young yet for the slim, pointy and glossy male specific saddle feathers. Those usually don't come in until 12, 13 weeks or so.

At this age, and with Easter eggers in particular, you're looking for size and color of the combs, as a starting point. 2 and 4 have red coloring in the combs, so that puts them immediately under suspicion.

The other thing to look at in young Easter eggers is color pattern. An even color pattern usually means female. A splotchy color pattern, as 2 has, usually means male.

One other tip is to look for deep red coloring at the shoulders. 2 kind of has that, but in many examples it is more obvious. It is usually a male trait.

9 has a little less even pattern than the other females like it, but that gold and black is typically a female trait in Easter eggers.

I don't think you're missing anything. Correctly identifying gender in young chickens is something that comes with experience, and no one gets it right 100% of the time, even then.

 

[AinaWGSD]

There's several things people are looking for to help determine male vs female depending on breed, color, and age.

often the first thing that will be noticeable is comb and wattles, especially in breeds with large single combs. A pullet's comb should be yellow to pale pink until just before she starts to lay. If a two week old chick has a dark pink or red comb and wattles you're almost certainly looking at a cockerel. Cockerel combs are also usually going to be noticeably larger than a pullet of the same breed and age once you get past the first 2-6 weeks. Some breeds will "comb up" early, but a pullet's comb is unlikely to be bright red until she's close to laying. One problem with using it comb size and color is that it can be really variable and especially difficult if all of the chicks actually are the same sex or if you are looking at different breeds.

Pointy saddle and hackle feathers are a dead giveaway, but they don't start coming in until around 12 weeks. So in any bird younger than that feather shape is meaningless. Even after 12 weeks a slow to mature cockerel may not have obvious male saddle feathers yet.

Depending on the pattern sometimes you can tell by the colors whether a bird is male or female. For example, partridge/pencilled is a sexually dimorphic pattern. Females will have evenly distributed concentric "lacing" over the entire body. Males will have solid black breasts with red or silver (depending on the base color) on their saddle, hackles, and shoulders. Easter Eggers don't have a standard pattern, but often times the males will have red feathers on the shoulder/back. That (along with the size and color of the comb) is why we think bird #2 is most likely a cockerel.

Leg size (males will usually have noticeably thicker legs), posture (males tend to stand more upright) and behavior (males tend to be the first to investigate new things and are often bolder) can all be clues but they are much more variable and much less accurate.

 

[horror_trashcan]

So I have been looking at a number of these posts, trying to get some sense of what people are looking for in sexing chickens. I didn't seen saddles in #2 and thought I saw different feathering in #9 from the hens with her same patterning. What was I reading incorrect, if somebody does not mind educating me?

I post it for fun, I enjoy guessing other peoples birds so why not have others guess for mine!
Since my pictures don't show behavior I watch for that myself and 2-4 are for sure roosters, they consistently get into fights that my frizzle breaks up and the white one is a big bully and will pick at the hens as well (He's gotta go ) I had guessed those two were roosters for about a week or two before I'd posted this so it can be obvious some times.
My frizzle which was ordered as a rooster had his comb at about two weeks and he already had some nubs at a week, #2 I had assumed was a hen until about a week ago after watching him fight, his legs are thick as well.
I hate to admit I look at their legs for the majority of my decision making but if its not the comb and wattles growing in, their legs it really thick compared to the hens. This is something I notice pretty soon although as always its best to wait even if you're set on what you think it is (you wouldn't want to accidentally cull a pullet because its legs were a big thick).
Breed can also be a concern when sexing but mine are all EEs so not much to see there.

 

[Seaslug]

JedJackson, AniaWGSD, and horror_trashcan -- thank you for your answers. I will continue to practice on those who post. Part of the appeal is that each chicken is an individual, so I realize that every rule has to be taken with a grain of salt!