Sussex Gender and EE Color?

[Reyvaughn]

Okay, here we go...

This is my Sussex who's been keeping me guessing all along! S/he is 6 1/2 weeks old and the only one with a comb but no wattles (compared to the boys) and s/he is bigger than the other pullets. My other 4 pullets are very obvious that they are girls and the other boys are very obvious that they are boys. This one doesn't seem to want to decide. I am assuming it's a roo because I wouldn't have any luck in numbers - I wanted 5 pullets and right now I have 4 for sure.

Also, here are 2 of my EEs that I was curious on their color. Their bottoms are blue, the one with the muffs is a lighter blue.

Lastly, I have a Silkie question. Aren't they supposed to have walnut combs? At some point do they look like half of a single comb? I think my oldest Silkie is a roo - I will get pics and confirm later, and I swear he has a single comb. -sigh- Maybe because he's hatchery stock? Or, I could be insane and not know what I am looking at.

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Sussex looks like my 2 pullets, they are hard to sex, but in a couple of weeks you can really tell the boys from the girls but I am leaning heavily pullet, I'll attach a pic of one of mine at 10 weeks and you can see she looks identical to yours.

 

[Reyvaughn]

I am really hoping this one is a pullet. It's the sweetest one I have out of all 73 of my birds. It was sitting on my shoulder as I checked everyone today and as you can see, it stayed at my feet while it wasn't on my shoulder. I saw a post from a couple of years ago where another BYC member's SS pullet looked suspiciously like a roo up until she was about 10wks old as well. I guess some just have larger combs, because none of my other pullets have a comb that size. The boys are either the same size comb and larger, but doubled and tripled in wattles and they are very noticeably dark pink/red.

Thanks, Schwartzfarmnc!

 

[JulieNKC]

I think she is a faster maturing pullet.
Don't know what color on your EE's.

 

[Reyvaughn]

Thanks, Julie! 2 for 2! Good odds, so far!

Yeah, I didn't know if there was an actual name to the EE's color. I was just curious.

 

[Mark & Nique]

Howdy --

We have a Speckled Sussex, too, and had a tough time waiting for that first crow or egg. (Some pictures are on our homepage.) We had to wait about 6 months before our hopes of a hen were confirmed by her first egg...I know it's tough, but be patient and hang in there. (By the way, SHE looks good!)

Good luck!

 

[Reyvaughn]

Hmmm... Now I am wondering if one of my other Sussex isn't a pullet. I have one with dark pink starting at the base of the comb and wattles, but they are smaller than the others. "He" looks like Bucky at 6 weeks, Mark & Nique. I don't mind, really. I really do like my Sussex. My "boys" are so sweet and run to the door to greet me and get pet (except the one that has no tail at all). I have 2 with very white breast and one of them is the one I think may be a pullet. I read that the cockerels usually have the most white on their breasts though.

I just need to know before July 4th - the boys are destined for the processor by July 13th, I won't lie, I will miss the BR and SS boys, though.

 

[ChickenWisperer]

The sussex are hard, they mature really slow. I would worry roo. The comb is awfully big... a lot bigger than my sussex pullets comb at that age. But I'd wait and see.


Easter Eggers don't have recognized "colors" and typically aren't found in them. Yours are one of the two most common colors.

 

[Reyvaughn]

I kind of figured the EEs didn't have a special color, but just wondered if the color had a name, other than that blue and yellow EE. I have 3 of the other normal EE color (same as those 2, but all black/brown/gold). I have a solid white pullet and 2 pretty cream and buff colored girls with penciling on their buff feathers.

The more I think about it, the more I think I am going to keep a Sussex roo. I'd ideally like to keep a white breasted one, but if this one is a roo, I'll more than likely keep it. I hope it's a pullet though...

Yep... I'm hitting my roo limit here... 1 BA, 1 BLRW, 1 BW, 1 SS, 1 Silkie... And if I get Bantam Cochins... Well, at least I'll have about 70 hens!

 

[stubbornhill]

I would say pullet. Mine are the same age as yours and suppossidly were sexed from the hatchery. Here's a picture of one of mine taken two days ago.