Have two chicks to integrate w flock soon but one may be a roo

[Leeloo7]

Hello everyone! I asked this on the “guess what gender” thread that I started for my suspected roo Easter egger chick but I thought my follow-up question warrants it’s own thread here.

So I have a 6-week Easter Egger that I’m 99% sure is going to end up being a rooster (comb reddening, red splotch coloring on his shoulders, and total brave/bully-ish personality!). He has a salmon faverolle brooder mate that’s also 6-weeks old and I was hoping to integrate them both together with our older flock soon (they are between 9-13 weeks old). However, the EE keeps exhibiting more and more rooster characteristics so my whole plan has hit a bump!

I reached out to the breeder for advice on if I should rehome this one now and try to get another pullet similar in age (So our timid little salmon favorelle isn’t integrated solo with the bigger flock) and the breeder said that because EEs are a mixed breed, they can be very difficult to sex based on their comb/coloring/behavior so she suggested I wait and see what happens. However, each day the EE seems more and more like a roo who constantly picks on his brooder-mate and is not too friendly to humans either so I feel like the inevitable is coming.

So my question is, should I wait it out and try to integrate him with the older flock and then rehome him later if/when he crows or becomes too aggressive? At that point, my hope is that our salmon faverolle would be integrated enough with her older siblings. Or should I re-home this one now and find another pullet around 6-weeks in age? Here’s some photos of the little EE for those interested! Thanks for any advice you can offer!!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Hello everyone! I asked this on the “guess what gender” thread that I started for my suspected roo Easter egger chick but I thought my follow-up question warrants it’s own thread here.

So I have a 6-week Easter Egger that I’m 99% sure is going to end up being a rooster (comb reddening, red splotch coloring on his shoulders, and total brave/bully-ish personality!). He has a salmon faverolle brooder mate that’s also 6-weeks old and I was hoping to integrate them both together with our older flock soon (they are between 9-13 weeks old). However, the EE keeps exhibiting more and more rooster characteristics so my whole plan has hit a bump!

I reached out to the breeder for advice on if I should rehome this one now and try to get another pullet similar in age (So our timid little salmon favorelle isn’t integrated solo with the bigger flock) and the breeder said that because EEs are a mixed breed, they can be very difficult to sex based on their comb/coloring/behavior so she suggested I wait and see what happens. However, each day the EE seems more and more like a roo who constantly picks on his brooder-mate and is not too friendly to humans either so I feel like the inevitable is coming.

So my question is, should I wait it out and try to integrate him with the older flock and then rehome him later if/when he crows or becomes too aggressive? At that point, my hope is that our salmon faverolle would be integrated enough with her older siblings. Or should I re-home this one now and find another pullet around 6-weeks in age? Here’s some photos of the little EE for those interested! Thanks for any advice you can offer!!

It is male.

 

[Leeloo7]

It is male.

Yup, that’s been the consensus with everyone who’s seen him unfortunately. I appreciated the breeder’s advice but am still feeling like I need to address this issue from the mindset that our EE is a boy. We are new to chickens and are just not experienced enough to consider keeping a rooster. So any thoughts on if I should rehome him now and try to find another pullet his age (for the salmon faverolle) or keep him for a little while longer to help integrate our salmon faverolle with the older flock??

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Yup, that’s been the consensus with everyone who’s seen him unfortunately. I appreciated the breeder’s advice but am still feeling like I need to address this issue from the mindset that our EE is a boy. We are new to chickens and are just not experienced enough to consider keeping a rooster. So any thoughts on if I should rehome him now and try to find another pullet his age (for the salmon faverolle) or keep him for a little while longer to help integrate our salmon faverolle with the older flock??

I say keep them together for now.

 

[Mamatomany123]

Definitely a male. The brown coloring coming in on his shoulders is only a male trait.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you don't wish to keep a cockerel and can work on lining up a new home for him, I'd start doing that now, and in the meantime, integrate him along with your other chick just so she's not having to face the older chicks alone. Adding another pullet of same age is an option however because you also have other birds that are slightly older, that makes it more difficult - it'd essentially be a 3 way integration so more possibility of problems.