Please tell me this isn't a baby roo!

[Chickie7]

My DH and I purchased 6 chicks from the local feed store that we were told were "Araucana" chicks. After researching on here though and online I've figured out that they're Easter Eggers which is okay because we just wanted some different colored egg layers and have a few other breeds we purchased as well.

Anyway, there is one that is GORGEOUS in the way she or he is feathering out (the black/brown one with the brown around its neck). I'm just REALLY hoping we have a little pullet here because we don't plan to keep any roos. Out of all of them, this one has developed feathers first and has a more striking pattern. There is also a silver laced Wyandott in one of the pics and we have two others of those not pictured . We were told the Wyandotts we picked up were 94% sexed as female.

I'm also wondering about the little cream colored one in the pic. We call that one "cheeks" because of the cute little puffy cheeks. I thought I read somewhere that if they feather out later that they could be a roo. That one is considerably smaller than the others that we purchased and was out of the same run from the feed mill store, also marked as an Araucana, but we figure Easter Egger.

 

[Ridgerunner]

On the dark one, mainly because of the legs I think you have a male. The bright colors are a clue also, but only a clue. Males tend to be bright and showy so they can impress the ladies. Hens tend to be duller so they blend in when on a nest to lay or hatch eggs which helps hide them from predators. But there are a lot of bright colored and patterned hens out there too. Don't do anything dramatic yet but I'd start making plans.

That yellow one is a lot more challenging. Could you post a photo showing legs and posture? I think it is still too young but maybe we could guess. Chickens are set up genetically to be either fast feathering or slow feathering. That has nothing to do with whether they are male or female, just what genes did they inherit.

If the parents are set up properly genetically, you can sex the chicks by the feathers. In that specific case the males will feather out slower than the females. That's probably where that thing about males always feathering out slower came from. But unless you know that the mother was slow feathering and the father was fast feathering you cannot count on it.

I am a little nervous about the yellow one because of the posture. Males tend to be more upright than females. It is probably still way too early to tell for sure so don't do anything dramatic but I think the yellow one bears watching. If you can post photos.

 

[JedJackson]

The dark one looks like a pullet to me. Her color pattern is regular and even, not blotchy like a cockerel's would be at that age. Her breast feathers are coming in a reddish shade and that also points to female. She has a heavy, thick eye stripe on her face, another indication of a pullet. And, lastly, her color pattern is the classic pattern of Easter egger females. So I am fairly confident it's a girl.

The other chicks are much too young to sex accurately. 7 or 8 weeks old is a good time to try again.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I hope you are right on that red one. It is sort of low to the ground versus upright but those heavy legs really worry me.

 

[JedJackson]

I hope you are right on that red one. It is sort of low to the ground versus upright but those heavy legs really worry me.

Yeah, the legs do look a little thick but otherwise it's looking like a girl to me. We need more opinions.

 

[Chickie7]

Thanks for the opinions! I tried to get some more pics a few minutes ago, but it turned into the kids putting them on the kitchen floor and all of the chicks taking their turns leaving poo and then stepping in it. Ew. I might try again later. The kids love any excuse to get them out on the kitchen floor Right now we need to go outside and start preparing the ground for our building coming next week. I can't wait!

What's interesting is that these chicks came from the same place and we were told they were all about a day old when we picked them up so they're all the same age. Some seem to be maturing more quickly than others. There is another white one now I'm concerned about too because I was watching his/her posture which seems more upright too but the posture isn't consistent yet either way.

 

[sawilliams]

They all look female to be but it is still early. I have a female ee with very similar coloring to yours

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Please post pics of the EE combs at 8 weeks for gender.

 

[Jennifer Cappi Williams]

wow...do you guys know which I have? These hatched yesterday from green eggs. Mamas are Easter eggers but dad is a purebred Barred Rock.

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

wow...do you guys know which I have? These hatched yesterday from green eggs. Mamas are Easter eggers but dad is a purebred Barred Rock.View attachment 1377498

These are too young to tell gender. Please post pics of their combs at 6 weeks.