Tailed Araucana and Ameraucana / Rhode Island Red: boys??

[deedletree]

Hi,

I have a white Araucana that has a tail (someone was improving their Araucanas for some trait) and a red Ameraucana / Rhode Island Red cross. The white one "Georgie" is about 12 weeks, and the red one "Carrot" is about 10 weeks. I've posted these a Facebook site, and the consensus was that Georgie is definitely a boy and Carrot is also likely a cockerel. Georgie has some pointy saddle feathers, but the hackle feathers aren't too roo-ish yet.

I really, really wanted a blue egg layer and a green egg layer, and I can't have roosters where I live. These guys also had a respiratory illness when they were small, and since everything in chickens seems to go underground rather than get cured, I'm not willing to re-home them if there's a chance they will carry something to someone else's flock. So, these guys have to be girls or they'll need to be culled.

What do y'all think? Should I give them a little longer? Are they minutes from crowing?


Georgie


Carrot

 

[BlueCamas]

They both look like boys, sorry.
Also a side note, I don't know what the breeder told you but the white one has not a drop of Ameraucana in it. He isn't even an EE. He has a single comb, no beard or muff, and yellow legs. Looks more like a leghorn than an EE.

 

[deedletree]

It was supposed to be an Araucana culled because it had a tail, not Ameraucana. . .

 

[BlueCamas]

Well, he's not an Araucana either. Araucanas have pea combs, beard, ear tufts, and slate legs. Your boy has none of those traits.

 

[deedletree]

Poor thing. . . the one thing he did have going for him was that he hatched from a huge blue egg. That was all I was really interested in when I bought him, that he would make huge blue eggs.

 

[deedletree]

So, breed aside, what traits are tipping you off to roo-ish-ness? I've been poring over any photos I can find online, and keep coming back to not being certain with these two.

 

[BlueCamas]

Well, at 10-12 weeks old only a cockerel would have that red of a comb. Pullets usually don't start pinking up until they are at POL (around 5-6 months).

 

[Stacykins]

Well, he's not an Araucana either. Araucanas have pea combs, beard, ear tufts, and slate legs. Your boy has none of those traits.

Uhh, true Araucanas in the U.S. standards do not have beards or muffs. And their legs are supposed to be willow, not slate..

 

[BlueCamas]

My bad, I'm no Araucana expert unfortunately

but still, I see no Araucana in that cockerel.

 

[BlazeJester]

My pullets pinked up around 8 weeks and started growing wattles by 11, but cockerels are further developed by that point. I see roosters. Sorry.