Pullet or Rooster?

[ChickenJockey]

Hi everyone,
This is our 7 week old Easter Egger named Pumpkin. Can anyone tell if it’s a pullet or rooster?

 

[Laurasb65]

I'm going to guess Pullet, but I'm not an expert

 

[AinaWGSD]

I think probably pullet. The comb is the only thing giving me pause, it looks a little redder than I would typically expect from a pullet at this age. Some pullets do pink up early though, so it's not red enough for me to think it's super suspicious. And the brownish tint to the breast feathers is more often seen in female color patterns.

 

[Egger Anna]

Probably a pullet, from looking at the tail feathers.

 

[ChickenJockey]

Thanks everyone! We are really hoping for pullet as the kids are obsessed. Pumpkin is super cuddly and friendly and I have to pry her out of the kids beds at night to take her to her own coop haha.

 

[Finnie]

Looks like a pullet to me.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Someone educate me here regarding this chick- Straight comb, yellow feet and shanks. It’s my understanding that EE has slate legs and a pea comb, but I get that the genetics of EE is a mixed bag.

 

[AinaWGSD]

Someone educate me here regarding this chick- Strait comb, yellow feet and shanks. It’s my understanding that EE has slate legs and a pea comb, but I get that the genetics of EE is a mixed bag.

That was pretty universally the case before legbars were imported to the US in 2010. Before then Ameraucana and Araucana were the only two breeds with the blue egg gene available to hatcheries for creating EE mixes. Now legbar-based EE are becoming just as common as Ameraucana based EE. Legbars have a single comb and yellow legs. They also usually have a crest, but hatchery stock sometimes have such a small crest that its not noticeable or even no crest at all.

That's assuming ops chicks came from a hatchery or farm store. If they're EE from a backyard flock then literally the only requirement for making them EE is the potential for a blue egg gene. Which means there could be several generations of mixes involved and they can have literally any traits.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This is our 7 week old Easter Egger named Pumpkin. Can anyone tell if it’s a pullet or rooster?

With the red comb, thick legs, and upright posture I think that is probably a male. I'm not sure though. I don't see wattles developing. There is still some uncertainty so do not take drastic action yet.

Someone educate me here regarding this chick- Straight comb, yellow feet and shanks. It’s my understanding that EE has slate legs and a pea comb, but I get that the genetics of EE is a mixed bag.

@NorthwoodsChick what is your definition of an EE? They are not a breed, there is no Standard of Perfection to describe them. EE's are something you can describe any way you wish. My definition is that they are not a recognized breed and somewhere in their genealogy was a hen that laid a blue or green egg.

That was pretty universally the case before legbars were imported to the US in 2010. Before then Ameraucana and Araucana were the only two breeds with the blue egg gene available to hatcheries for creating EE mixes.

I'm going to disagree with this some. The original blue egg layers were discovered in Chile. I can't remember when. More recently other blue egg layers were discovered in China but the Chile mutation is the critical one for us. The Araucana and Ameraucana were developed from these blue egg laying chickens in the USA in the 1970's. Some hatcheries already had flocks of blue or green egg laying chickens before these breeds were even developed and recognized. This is a quote from Cackle Hatchery's website that shows they started before the Araucana or Ameraucana were recognized breeds.

• 
  Breeder Farm Source: Cackle Hatchery® Poultry Breeding Farm has been developing our bloodline/strain of production type of Easter Egger™ Chickens since 1971.

I'm sure Cackle (and other hatcheries) have continues to develop their EE flocks, probably more along the lines of Ameraucana but you are still not guaranteed to get pea combs, slate legs, muffs, tufts, or beards.

they can have literally any traits.

I totally agree with this statement. Several years ago the Ameraucana Club website had a chart that compared Araucana and Ameraucana breed requirements to EE's. Every trait under the EE was basically "could be anything". There are no breed requirements for EE's. That Ameraucana Club website continues to evolve as more history is learned, I've lost some interesting articles from there.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

With the red comb, thick legs, and upright posture I think that is probably a male. I'm not sure though. I don't see wattles developing. There is still some uncertainty so do not take drastic action yet.


@NorthwoodsChick what is your definition of an EE? They are not a breed, there is no Standard of Perfection to describe them. EE's are something you can describe any way you wish. My definition is that they are not a recognized breed and somewhere in their genealogy was a hen that laid a blue or green egg.


I'm going to disagree with this some. The original blue egg layers were discovered in Chile. I can't remember when. More recently other blue egg layers were discovered in China but the Chile mutation is the critical one for us. The Araucana and Ameraucana were developed from these blue egg laying chickens in the USA in the 1970's. Some hatcheries already had flocks of blue or green egg laying chickens before these breeds were even developed and recognized. This is a quote from Cackle Hatchery's website that shows they started before the Araucana or Ameraucana were recognized breeds.

• 
  Breeder Farm Source: Cackle Hatchery® Poultry Breeding Farm has been developing our bloodline/strain of production type of Easter Egger™ Chickens since 1971.

I'm sure Cackle (and other hatcheries) have continues to develop their EE flocks, probably more along the lines of Ameraucana but you are still not guaranteed to get pea combs, slate legs, muffs, tufts, or beards.


I totally agree with this statement. Several years ago the Ameraucana Club website had a chart that compared Araucana and Ameraucana breed requirements to EE's. Every trait under the EE was basically "could be anything". There are no breed requirements for EE's. That Ameraucana Club website continues to evolve as more history is learned, I've lost some interesting articles from there.

Hi RR
My definition of an EE is based on hatchery description of Ameraucana having the blue egg gene. I only have one hatchery quality EE hen, so my ‘standard’ is based on my narrow EE experience. My one and only EE fits the hatchery mutt description to a T. Karen the Karen- she’s 3.5 yrs and an excellent friendly pet chicken who is 2nd to alert to predators (roo is first of course).
Legbars…no idea of their makings, and no interest in designer breeds especially crested breeds, but they seem popular.