is this EE (possibly Ameraucana) a pullet or roo? CONFIRMATION, pg 6!

[klf73]

it's a boy

 

[huckleberryfarm]

I'd have to say boy too.

 

[orientphoenix]

it looiks like a female to me

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
2x

 

[Bravo]

My vote is cockerel.

This is one of those tricky EE's

Lots of girly and manly features to it. Yes, that comb is large but I have had pullets develop scary combs early on too. What concerns me is the feather shape and the red in the face. Pullets will get this red color when they are getting close to POL. At 9 weeks old it is very unlikely a pullet would be this red.

As far as the feathers go, I think if you start parting the juvenile feathers on the saddle area you are going to see a lot of pointy feathers growing in. In the shot where you have your 2 birds and you are aiming down at them--compare the feathering. The blue one has much pointier feathers and after they start juvenile molt in the next few weeks you are going to see a lot of major differences in feather shape between these 2 birds.

From experience, I have kept birds like this until I knew for sure. All of the ones that had pointy juvenile feathers always ended up being boys.

If I were you I'd hold on to it for a while longer. If it is a bird from your flock (or if you plan on breeding it) the extended observation will give you a lot of valuable information on the early sexual dimorphism of your birds. With your next hatch, you will have a benchmark to go off of.

Also, it is going to be a stunning bird with that lacing--I'd keep it just for eye candy!

 

[sevenbabychicks]

Thanks, everyone!

Bravo, after reading your post I parted his feathers down the saddle portion of the body and did notice some darker feathers beginning to grow in. Thanks for the tip! What's weird is that they (and all of his other feathers) appear to be very rounded close up. The lacing makes them look pointed, but they don't seem to be.. however they may well prove to be pointy once they get more developed (?) The hackle feathers are a bit more triangular, but not nearly so much as the hackles of my jersey giant hen (and she's def a hen - my best layer!).

I'm going to try keeping him even if he is indeed a he. Would you think 9-10 hens and two roosters would be okay? Otherwise, I'm thinking more and more about replacing my resident roo who seems to be quickly morphing into some sort of horrible demon-chicken. I've heard EE roos have good temperaments

 

[sevenbabychicks]

Updated pics! At a little more than 3 months old, this guy is still stumping me. He started getting roosterish lacing on the hackle feathers, and has darkened a bit, but the feathers don't seem to be getting any longer and are still rounded. I'm still leaning roo, and decided to just assume cockerel unless there's an egg in a couple more months. I've named him Soleiman (don't ask why. It just popped into my head one day while watching him run around the yard).

Soleiman and his BCM friend, Delilah -

Soleiman looking like a roo -

Looking like a pullet -

Looking like a dinosaur -

With his EE friend, Esme -

The trio -

 

[featherz]

Pretty chicken..

I'm still keeping my vote as roo. Here's my blue EE - she (I think it's a she) is 16 weeks old.

Let us know what happens - nice looking birdie either way!

 

[UrbanFarmerGirl]

I am very eager to follow what happens here. I really could not guess either way about boy/girl. I have 3 EEs and they are so different from my other chickens, and from each other. I love the personalities but at 5 weeks old they are already all developing differently! My reddish one looks a lot like yours.

 

[lovin my birds]

Im going to guess pullet. I have a girl that when she was that age i swore it was a roo. The reddish face, the hackle and saddle feathers, the roo stance. But she turned out to be a beautiful hen. And she lays the prettiest turquoise eggs. And yes to this day because of her lacing she still looks a little rooish. Her hackle feathers especially. I hope it is a pullet she would make such a pretty little addition to your girls.