Sex of BR Chick and Olive Eggers

Chxlove

In the Brooder
Mar 23, 2021
29
11
34
Hi!
First post here and new to chickens as of 1.5 weeks ago. I have 1 Barred Rock chick, about 2 weeks old, maybe 2.5. I noticed her comb seems very pronounced and now that I've done some research on telling the sex, her colors seem too bold for her to actually be a "her". She also has no tail feathers hardly and is very curious, looks me in the eye, first to come eat out of my hand, flapping her wings a bit, etc. I'm thinking my Eleanor is actually a male. Any thoughts?
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My next pair, or so I hope, are my Olive Eggers. They were the last 2 from the farmer I bought them from and I haven't been able to find a single photo online of another Olive Egger chick that looks like my Olive (because she was olive colored, not black like her sister Maui or yellow like other chicks, I know how original 😂) Anyway, these two are 3 weeks old. They just have wild behavior that makes me wonder if they're males. They puff up their chests and chest bump each other, fly around, they're the most active and crazy of my whole little 5 chick flock. (The other 2 are 2 week old sweet, docile little Buff Orpingtons). However, they both have big tail feathers, not very pronounced combs, and pretty muted colors. Not sure if I'm going off of old wives tales though. Would love to hear your thoughts! I'll attach a couple pics of Olive and Maui when they were 10 days old (when we got them) too.
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This pics below were taken a week ago already. The one above of Olive with Maui's blurry face was from today.
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These next ones below were at 10 days old when we first brought them home. Can you see the olive-ness now? 😄
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Different comb types will look different, so comparing them to each other may not be helpful...a single comb will stick out more, even on pullets, than a pea comb (which your olive eggers may have, depending on what kind of mix they are).

If any combs are quite pink at about 4 or 5 weeks, that would definitely point toward roo. But you have to wait even longer for things to be conclusive.

My pullets did "mock battles" at around 4 weeks. I think that's part of establishing a pecking order. So I wouldn't count that as a sign.

My cockerel was very friendly and curious as a little chick, then started HATING being held at about 4 weeks. Annnd he had a red comb and dangly wattles by six weeks. He was an early developer. He also held himself a bit more like a T-rex and less like a duck. So those are things you can look for I guess? But you still won't know for sure until later.
 
Different comb types will look different, so comparing them to each other may not be helpful...a single comb will stick out more, even on pullets, than a pea comb (which your olive eggers may have, depending on what kind of mix they are).

If any combs are quite pink at about 4 or 5 weeks, that would definitely point toward roo. But you have to wait even longer for things to be conclusive.

My pullets did "mock battles" at around 4 weeks. I think that's part of establishing a pecking order. So I wouldn't count that as a sign.

My cockerel was very friendly and curious as a little chick, then started HATING being held at about 4 weeks. Annnd he had a red comb and dangly wattles by six weeks. He was an early developer. He also held himself a bit more like a T-rex and less like a duck. So those are things you can look for I guess? But you still won't know for sure until later.
This is very helpful, thank you! I figured it was too early but it is soooo hard to wait and see. Especially because we really want a good amount of eggs! Which I won't have with 3/5 roos 😂 Patience is not my forte!
 
I spent my "wondering" time taking growth progression photos and posting them on a thread on here. I figured it would potentially help out someone in the future with a similar chick they aren't sure about. I tried to get a good combs/wattles shot and a full body profile shot of then standing up once or twice each week. Gave me something to do. :idunno
 
OE looks like a pullet, picture of the top of the BR head would be good
Some pics of the top of the head around 2 weeks old, and an updated pic from yesterday, about 5 weeks old. Definitely thinking my Eleanor is a roo. His comb is very defined but not pink at all yet. And his legs are very think with only a little bit of a dark tinge in some spots, otherwise very yellow. He only just got some tail feathers in the last day or 2.
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OE looks like a pullet, picture of the top of the BR head would be good
Also, here's some updated pics of my olive eggers. Both don't have pronounced combs and no pinking up at all yet. They are almost 6 weeks old. And the hardest to get photos of!
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Well he definitely looks like a cockerel to me, he’s light in color and his baby pic has the right spot for him, also look at those feet! The rest of them look like pullets to me so you have a nice flock going!
 

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