Help with sexing my Americaunas!

[erinks]

We have 4 straight run Americaunas that are about 5 weeks old now. Does anyone have ideas on if these are hens or roosters?

 

[Michael OShay]

All four of them are actually Easter Eggers as opposed to true Ameraucanas and they all look like pullets to me.

 

[erinks]

Awesome and very interesting! Thanks! This is our first "go-round" with chickens.

 

[BantamLover21]

All four of them are actually Easter Eggers as opposed to true Ameraucanas and they all look like pullets to me.

Agreed.

 

[Wyandottes7]

All four of them are actually Easter Eggers as opposed to true Ameraucanas and they all look like pullets to me.

x2

 

[erinks]

This is so interesting! Thanks so much, everyone!

So, for curiosity's sake, what are the main differences between Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers? And how do you tell the difference? Also, how are you able to tell they are pullets vs. cockerels?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and learned from those who are clearly so much more experienced than I!

 

[Michael OShay]

This is so interesting! Thanks so much, everyone!

So, for curiosity's sake, what are the main differences between Ameraucanas and Easter Eggers? And how do you tell the difference? Also, how are you able to tell they are pullets vs. cockerels?

You're welcome. There is a good article at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html explaining the differences between Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and Easter Eggers. As far as telling male EEs from females, when they are young, females usually begin developing partridge looking brown and black feathers, although some are silver or black and white with a salmon breast. The feathers of young males on the other hand are often black and white but have red, orange, or rust colored feathers that will often emerge on the neck, back, and almost always on the shoulders. These are the tell-tale signs of a male as female EEs cannot have that color in those regions. Other colors common to males are a black breast and red markings on the shoulders, neck, and back. Also in case of EEs with pea combs (which most of them have), the females will usually only have a single row of peas, whereas the males will have three rows of peas. As the birds get older of course, the males begin to develop the longer and more pointed hackle and saddle feathers that characterize the roosters of most breeds.