Suspiciously butch chickens... EE's, Cochins, NN - PIC HEAVY!

[KellyGwen]

This is my list of suspects... Do these look like boys to you? None of my chickens are crowing yet...

This is one of my silver EE's... S/he is taller than all the others and a bit bossy... these were taken yesterday - s/he is about 10 weeks old.

This is my other silver EE who I'm not positive of... (these 2 look almost identical except for size)

This is one of my white bantam cochins... He's about 11 weeks old and looks very manly...

This is his little I think brother who is about 2 months old...

Very bossy...

This is my little NN Audrey Hepburn... S/he is only about a month old... but any ideas yet?

I also have 4 silkies who I'm not sure of... They range from about 2-3 months old... None of them have noticeable combs yet... When do they get them if they're boys?

THANKS!!

 

[KellyGwen]

Anyone?

 

[babychickfarmer]

I think they are all girls but the white buff cochin, that looks like a boy. Take a look at my 10 week old rooster, and compare it to your hens,

 

[Windy Ridge]

The only one I would be comfortable labeling a rooster at this point would be the black cochin.

See the pointy feathers hanging down on either side of his tail in that picture? Those are the hallmark of a rooster. Hens will have rounded feathers.

Combs develop at different rates. I can't see any of the hanging feathers in the photo of the white cochin, but maybe that's the angle.

EEs can be hard to tell for a long while. I think people tend to want to post pictures of faces and combs, but I hardly look at those. I'm always trying to look at hackles and sickles. The top photo seems to show a little beetle green to the black feathers of your EE, which can be another sign of a cockerel, but sorry--I just can't tell for sure.

Especially the other photos, I can't see those feathers at all.

Maybe knowing what you're looking for (those pointy feathers) will help you take a look at your birds in person and make a better call?

 

[KellyGwen]

Quote:
Where can I see a pic of your roo?

 

[KellyGwen]

Quote:
Here's another pic of the white bantam cochin from the side... I don't remember seeing any long tail feathers on him/her...

and here's one from last night that shows the silver EE's tail a little better...

 

[Windy Ridge]

Here is a picture of a phoenix from feathersite:

See how pointy the feathers are?

Here is a photo of a black cochin hen and rooster (also from feathersite:

See how different the rooster's feathers look? I'm sorry I can't tell very well on your white cochin photo. It's a little blurry, but I don't see any of those pointy feathers, yet, either. It could be they're just coming in... or you could have a pretty little hen.

As I said, with Easter Eggers, it's a little harder to tell; I think even the hen's feathers look a bit pointier than in most breeds, and the comb is so small, too, in both sexes. However, usually in an EE rooster at that age, you will be able to see three distinct rows of papillae on the pea comb (little nubs). Hens have this too, but it's REALLY hard to see on them, and you usually can't see their little nubs very well until right before they begin to lay when they swell. You wouldn't see that in a picture unless you have a very clear, very closeup shot using macro focus.

The other thing that would worry me about the white and black EE suspect is the beetle green in the plumage. Females generally don't have that so much, although some of my speckled sussex hens do have some in their speckles (pretty!). I might be leaning toward rooster with that one, but it's just a guess.

You have some awfully pretty birds, though. I love Easter Eggers. The more you keep and raise chickens, the better you'll get at being able to tell the sexes of your birds. After a while, many you'll "know" based on behavior. It's difficult to tell at first what is a contest between girls, and what is a contest between boys!

 

[Guitartists]

I am guessing that the EEs and the white cochin are roos..... the NN maybe a pullet and the other cochin, not sure.

 

[ChicksterJo]

 

[TigerLilly]

The 2 EE's look like roo's to me, but I can't say about the others. Hepburn's 1st pic makes me think 'vulture' !