These two: pullet or cockerel?

[Michael OShay]

Actually an Araucana is a true breed that has a tailless rump and lays blue eggs. Easter Eggers are hybirds produced by crossing blue egg layers with brown egg layers to produce offspring that lay eggs in colors other than just blue. Hatcheries and feed stores often and incorrectly market their EEs as Araucanas or Ameraucanas, when they are in fact EEs. Since Easter Eggers are hybrids, they do not conform to any standards, including the color of their legs, although EEs commonly have greenish legs and pea combs (but not always). There is a good article at http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/09/ameraucana-easter-egger-or-araucana.html explaining the difference between Araucanas, Ameraucanas, and Easter Eggers.

P.S. Sorry I forgot to address the issue of the other bird. I agree with junebuggena; it's a mixed breed, probably a Cochin mix given the feathered legs and single comb.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

I do know that the father is "aracauna" and the mother was cochin. So that all makes sense.

What you are saying then is that when it comes to EE's, there aren't very many rules to their form? The coloring, legs, combs, feathers can vary greatly?

And the reason why people here feel the other three birds of mine are cockerels is because their combs have pinked up by 9-10 weeks? Is that correct?

It certainly seems that the chicken world is not as precise as I once thought.

 

[junebuggena]

The father was probably and Easter Egger himself. Araucana do not have muffs. Muffs are a dominant trait. Since she has muffs, she probably got them from her EE dad.
Easter Eggers usually have muffs and beards, but are sometimes clean-faced. They almost always have a pea comb, since it is a dominant comb type. The blue egg gene is usually inherited in pea comb EE. Single comb EEs usually don't carry a blue egg gene. Their legs usually have a yellow base and a slate 'wash,' giving their legs the green look. They can come in any color and pattern combination. Most hatcheries and feed stores selling Araucana or Ameraucana are actually selling Easter Eggers. While hatcheries may have started out with pure birds, they crossed them with production type birds to increase their laying rate. The introduction of all those crosses is what has lead to the creation of the hatchery Easter Egger. The term Easter Egger is also applied to any bird that might lay a blue or green egg.

As for the combs pinking up, pullets won't turn pink and start to really develop a comb until they are close to laying, usually between 14 and 18 weeks. Since no chicken is old enough to lay an egg at 9 weeks old, a bright pink comb at that age indicates a cockerel.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

That's amazing. Thank you! I've got a LOT to learn.

 

[bigbruce]

I've been raising chickens for 40 years and it looks like the red one is a roo to me

 

[Wyandottes7]

They all look like pullets to me.

 

[lilbeastpdx]

Wyandottes7: you mean these two? Or all five of my birds (the others are in other threads of mine)

 

[Michael OShay]

What you are saying then is that when it comes to EE's, there aren't very many rules to their form? The coloring, legs, combs, feathers can vary greatly?

Most EEs have greenish legs and pea combs, but the only real standard to an Easter Egger that sets them apart from any other mixed breed is that they lay colored eggs (blue, olive, green, beige, and sometimes even pale pink).