Sexing Easter Eggers

[Frazzemrat1]

Pullets or cockerels? 5 week old EE. First pic are both chicks together View attachment 13910471st chickView attachment 1391054
View attachment 13910492nd chick View attachment 1391051 View attachment 1391052

one of each

 

[BitterLimeParakeet]

Hey all, I am brand new here, and I was hoping for some help sexing my peep. When I got my peep at the hatchery at 2 weeks old, they said I had a pullet, but that their sexing is about 80% accurate. I was originally told my peep was an Ameraucana, but after reading up on the breed, I am thinking that I probably have an Easter Egger. I live in the suburbs so we can only have hens, and even though the place where I got my peep offers to rehome roosters, I would be heartbroken if I couldn't keep my baby. My peep is very sweet, and I think that since I handled my baby often, she/he likes people. However, sudden movements, strong breezes, harmless wild birds, and other things frighten my peep, so I wouldn't really call my baby "brave." This is Dr. Cluckenstein, about 7 weeks old now, by my calculations.

 

[Chicken Strut]

Dr. Cluckenstein is an Easter Egger who should be giving you eggs (probably mint green) this fall. Enjoy her! I have a 3-year-old named Audrey, a very good layer, who could have been Dr. C's twin at that age. I worried about her gender, too, because of the red shoulders thing and hackle feathers that looked pointy to me -- but the people here reassured me when she was about 7 weeks old, too.

 

[BitterLimeParakeet]

Dr. Cluckenstein is an Easter Egger who should be giving you eggs (probably mint green) this fall. Enjoy her! I have a 3-year-old named Audrey, a very good layer, who could have been Dr. C's twin at that age. I worried about her gender, too, because of the red shoulders thing and hackle feathers that looked pointy to me -- but the people here reassured me when she was about 7 weeks old, too.

That's great news, and thanks so much for the quick reply! Mint green eggs sound fabulous. My silkies lay cream and light brown eggs, so a little color mix up would be neat. Audrey sounds lovely, too. I was getting a bit worried because Dr. C's hackles do look a little pointy, thanks for putting my mind at ease!

 

[JDB99]

16ish weeks old, I think it's a pullet but the comb has me wondering since it looks like it has 3 ridges.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Hey all, I am brand new here, and I was hoping for some help sexing my peep. When I got my peep at the hatchery at 2 weeks old, they said I had a pullet, but that their sexing is about 80% accurate. I was originally told my peep was an Ameraucana, but after reading up on the breed, I am thinking that I probably have an Easter Egger. I live in the suburbs so we can only have hens, and even though the place where I got my peep offers to rehome roosters, I would be heartbroken if I couldn't keep my baby. My peep is very sweet, and I think that since I handled my baby often, she/he likes people. However, sudden movements, strong breezes, harmless wild birds, and other things frighten my peep, so I wouldn't really call my baby "brave." This is Dr. Cluckenstein, about 7 weeks old now, by my calculations. View attachment 1428185 View attachment 1428187 View attachment 1428190 View attachment 1428193 View attachment 1428196 View attachment 1428197

16ish weeks old, I think it's a pullet but the comb has me wondering since it looks like it has 3 ridges. View attachment 1428998 View attachment 1428999

Both Easter Egger Pullets

 

[JDB99]

I assuming she is getting somewhat close to laying, with her comb reddening so much?

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I assuming she is getting somewhat close to laying, with her comb reddening so much?

Chickens begin laying anywhere between 16-30 weeks. I want to say my older EE started laying at about 21 weeks or so? So yea, she's getting there. If you check her pelvis, you should be able to get an idea. The wider the pelvis points, the closer to lay. If you can fit 2.5-3 fingers between the points (depending on how big your fingers are) then she's getting there. Three fingers is usually about to lay.

 

[Casey0601]

Wondering if you wonderful folks can help me out! My first batch of chickens (3 barred rock and 3 Easter Eggers) the barred rock have been easy enough to confirm as pullets but I’m quite unsure about my EE’s, all the red on the shoulders have me concerned on my light colored and blue one. They are about 10 weeks old. They were supposed to be sexed at the hatchery but I know that’s no guarantee, but surely I wouldn’t have two! Kinda hoping the blue one, named Falcon is a roo. Thanks in advance!!!!

 

[Chicken Strut]

How striking your Easter Eggers are! The one with partridge coloring looks like a pullet for sure--and the one with blonde/chestnut coloring looks like a pullet to me, too. The blue one does have some of the tell-tale irregular red patches on the shoulders so maybe he's a cockerel. If he is you should begin to increasingly notice that his hackle feathers look more pointy than round (on the head, too, not just where the hackle feathers lay against the body) and his saddle feathers will grow out long and pointy. Note that Easter Egger pullets can have soft, rounded, flopping-over feathers just before their tail so these birds are not automatically cockerels if the feathers fall to the side. I'm no expert, though - let's see what others have to say. Find out what the hatchery policy is for refunds when there are sexing errors (there's usually a window where you can file a claim when the juvenile bird falls between certain ages) so you can follow up with them as necessary.