Need Help determining gender of Easter Egger!

[ChurchGirl]

We just got this Easter Egger but we don't know if it is a Hen or Cockerel. The tail feathers are starting to curl but it doesn't have a big comb or waddle. All of our other roos that are the same age have pretty big combs and waddles, I don't know if it is just different with Easter Eggers. Some advice would be great.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

That is a cockerel. The red patches are a male only color trait.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Cockerel

 

[SchwartzLakeFarmNC]

That is a cockerel. The red patches are a male only color trait.

I agree, 100% cockerel.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

That is a cockerel. The red patches are a male only color trait.

My female EE i use to have had patches of red until her second molt. And she layed eggs.

 

[Winderdear]

Pea combs aren’t going to get large like a single comb would, so it’s a bit harder to tell gender based on that. Also, bearded birds have much smaller wattles that are usually a bit hidden.

What seems to be telling on male EEs I’ve seen here is rust colored patches on the wings. Usually they’re a bit splotchy though, so I’m unsure about yours as it seems to be part of the patterning. I’m no EE expert, so I’d trust others’ opinions over mine. Curious to see what they turn out to be though!

How old is your bird, do you know?

 

[ChurchGirl]

Pea combs aren’t going to get large like a single comb would, so it’s a bit harder to tell gender based on that. Also, bearded birds have much smaller wattles that are usually a bit hidden.

What seems to be telling on male EEs I’ve seen here is rust colored patches on the wings. Usually they’re a bit splotchy though, so I’m unsure about yours as it seems to be part of the patterning. I’m no EE expert, so I’d trust others’ opinions over mine. Curious to see what they turn out to be though!

How old is your bird, do you know?

No, the EE was given to us so we don't know how old it is.

 

[NatJ]

That is a cockerel. The red patches are a male only color trait.

Um, not exactly male-only. It is certainly more common in males, but happens in some hens too. For an example of red in the shoulders of hens, I suggest looking at photos of Red Shouldered White Yokohamas. (A google image search, or a look at hatchery photos, will usually turn up plenty of examples.)

Pea combs aren’t going to get large like a single comb would, so it’s a bit harder to tell gender based on that. Also, bearded birds have much smaller wattles that are usually a bit hidden.

What seems to be telling on male EEs I’ve seen here is rust colored patches on the wings. Usually they’re a bit splotchy though, so I’m unsure about yours as it seems to be part of the patterning. I’m no EE expert, so I’d trust others’ opinions over mine. Curious to see what they turn out to be though!

That is almost exactly what I was thinking.

In this case, I am thinking the bird might be female, but I am not certain. It could still be a male and just not obvious to me yet.

Points in favor of the bird being female:
--the comb looks small (even for a pea comb), and not a very bright red.
--I do not see any pointy male saddle feathers.
--the color in the shoulders looks about the same as the color in several other places, including part of the breast, so it could just be part of the color pattern of that individual bird.

On the other hand, a slow-maturing male would also have the small comb, pale comb, and no pointy saddle feathers yet. And the color in the wings could be the red that often appears in a male.

I notice that the tail feathers stand up tall and curver over at the end, but I have seen that in plenty of female and male Easter Eggers, so I do not consider it helpful in telling their gender.

 

[ChurchGirl]

That is a cockerel. The red patches are a male only color trait.

We have a EE that has almost the same colors (just without the gray head) and she is a hen that lays eggs.

 

[LaFleche]

At the moment it looks like a pullet to me.