Sexing Chicks

fendchicks99

In the Brooder
7 Years
Feb 22, 2012
8
1
11
Big Lake, MN
Hello...

Just got my chicks on Friday!!!! Wondering what (if any) are the first signs of a chicks sex? I have Easter Eggers and Blk Australops? Ranging in age fron 2 weeks to 2 or 3 mos.

Thanks
jumpy.gif
 
The 2 or 3 month old ones you'll probably be able to tell now, but you might have to wait a while for the 2 week olds. The roosters will have larger, redder combs. That is usually the first sign. The males will have longer, more pointed hackle (back of the neck) feathers and pointed saddle feathers (between the back and the tail). They will also develop longer "sickle" tail feathers that will look much different from the hens'. Do you have any photos of them? People here are really good at sexing chicks it seems.
 
Where did you get them? Those don't look like EEs. No fuzzy faces, green/slate legs (that I can see), and just standard "chipmunk"-y color. Could easily be game birds. I don't see any gender characteristics OR months-old birds...

Pictures of each chick's comb and legs, as well as a top picture and side picture of each would be very helpful with gender distinction.
 
Yeah, I don't see EEs either. It looks like Black Australorps, New Hampshires, and White Plymouth Rocks or Leghorns. At this age you cannot tell gender. They are definitely not 2-3 mos. The yellow and black ones look maybe 2 weeks old and the white ones 3 weeks, maybe a month.
 
The blue egg gene is not tied to color, pattern, muffs, tuffs, or leg color. EE's can be any color or pattern, do not have to have either muffs or tufts, and can have any color leg. Ameraucanas and Araucanas have standards and requirements, but EE's don't. Many hatcheries base their EE's on Ameraucanas, so it is a common perception that EE's should have Ameraucana traits, but they really don't have to. The EE I had laid a nice green egg, was solid red in color, had no muffs or tufts, and had yellow legs. The comb was even a wonky combinbation of pea and single.

You really won't be able to tell if any of those are EE's or not until they lay eggs.
 

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