Roos?? Hens?? - These EE's have me perplexed!!! NEW PICS ADDED!

[jendodd79]

Lol!!!!

I love Nellie Olsen! That chicken is so mischevious and kind of rotten, but in a loveable way

 

[jendodd79]

OK, so we've rehomed 15 chickens, have 6 for sure hens in hte pen and now we're down to our last 7 unknown EE's - They are just going on 12 weeks now

I'm going to post 2 today that are similar

EE #1 - I'm pretty sure that is the sign of some saddle feathers coming in? Tail sticks straight up








#2 Doesn't have those feathers, has a rounded body shape and the tail doesn't stick up- and despite the terrible iphone pics, doesn't have as red of a comb as the first one.





'

I'll be back with 2 more unknowns tomorrow!

 

[jendodd79]

Friendly bump

 

[my sunwolf]

Hm, those two also look like roos, here's why: the splotchy dark red coloring, especially dark on the shoulders (EE pullets, like your other for-sure-female EE's, usually have a gradual shift between one color and the next, rather than the splotches of high contrast colors); the pointed saddle feathers on the 1st one; and the large, red three-row pea combs at 12 weeks. I'd say you might have two wait another month, to get the saddle feathers grown in on #2 and the hackles grown in on both of them

Edit: Sometimes EE's are strange crosses and the color rules don't work for that particular cross... not to mention, certain feather patterns will make saddles look pointed when they are actually rounded... basically, it's still a tough call.

 

[jendodd79]

Thanks! I don't want to rush it since we're so hen depraved! . Just have to avoid any crowing in our neighbourhood

 

[aoxa]

Jen,

Where are you in Canada? I'd take one.

 

[hdowden]

both of those are cockerels in about 2-3 more weeks you should know for sure

 

[hokankai]

Boys. At 12 weeks there shouldn't be any pink in the comb. That doesn't come until more like 16+ weeks.

Sorry :|

 

[cafarmgirl]

I vote roosters too. The red feathering is a very common ee rooster trait and those combs are very red for that age! My ee pullets have not even had a suggestion of pink in their combs at 12 or 13 weeks of age.

 

[jendodd79]

Thanks all!

I keep wishing and hoping that it turns out differently because it's proving impossible to re-home here and they are so beautiful!