So, EE's can be tricky... UPDATED post #4 PICTURES

[ND]

Besides waiting for eggs or crowing?

(sorry, no pics yet...not at this age...but I may be able to get some later this evening when I have some help)

I have (4) 11 week old EE's from Cackle hatchery. (hatch date 9-15)

I ordered 7 pullets, and picked them up in person. They gave me eight... the extra was an EE. (I had ordered 3 EE's, got four)

I'm convinced that the freebie MUST be a cockerel, I mean-- isn't that nearly always the 'rule'? I couldn't have gotten so lucky as to have been given a freebie pullet...


In truth, I'm kinda HOPING one of them is a cockerel... he could stay! Basically, either/or is fine... it has a happy home regardless.

But, I am really starting to think they are all pullets. NO ONE has any redder of a comb than anyone else. No one is any bigger/smaller. No one has noticeably larger legs. All hackles and saddle feathers seem uniformly shaped between them all. (but they may be a little young to be seeing the difference here, and the different colorings can be deceiving at first glance) They all feathered out at the same rate. One was significantly bigger as a newly hatched chick and extra puffy, but they all quickly became very similar in size.

I believe they are all colors that can be seen in pullets/hens... but they are all different.

I know you all need to see pictures... but my main question is, should it be apparent in 11 week old EE's? Or are they just that vague for this long and longer?UPD

 

[tornado8070]

Some are easier to tell earlier on than others. I would say to be sure you need to wait until 16 weeks, based on my experience. Just for the reason they dont have the full comb like most breeds do, which is the ultimate give away for a young cockeral. Thats my advice. Hope it helps.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Oh yeah, it will be apparent before 11 weeks. Post pics and we'll help you.

 

[ND]

Ok, tried to snap some pics by myself... no easy task!

Let's see what I ended up with...

This one, I'm positive is a pullet:

This one, too?

This one was the BIG chic as a day old... "Puffy" The one I've questioned the most...but still looks like a pullet?

This ones started as a white chick, and slowly feathered in buff and white. Excuse the scratch that it managed to get on it's comb apparently right before I decided to take pictures:

The one picture where I'm holding "Puffy", the comb looks really red compared to everyone else...but in person (and similar to the shot of him/her lying down in the shavings), it's no redder than anyone else.


All pullets? Or do I have a cockerel hiding in there?

 

[Happy Chooks]

All but Puffy are girls. Puffy's coloring looks male, and those hackle feathers look pretty pointy, but the comb looks female. Do you have a side view of Puffy's whole body? (with it on the ground-not you holding it)

 

[melodie_a]

I have no help to offer, but they are all very pretty!

 

[Illia]

I see a bunch of very colorful pullets.

Really, it is so interesting to see all this blue suddenly pop up in EE's.

 

[crazyhen]

I had a white and black one I was sure was a male but it did not crow. She layed a deep green egg

I sure was surprised. Like someone else said until it lays or crows, you really can not tell. Gloria Jean

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
I agree, their coloring is fantastic!

 

[chicken wild]

looks like you have a pullets