What breed and sex?

[mama24]

Production Red. Hatchery might call her RIR or NH. Definitely not an Easter Egger.

 

[juliechick]

I can't see one thing about the birds that says EE. It's a New Hampshire or Production Red cockerel. Probably one of your extras for warmth.

 

[Lagniappe Alpacas]

I can't see one thing about the birds that says EE. It's a New Hampshire or Production Red cockerel. Probably one of your extras for warmth.

What am I looking for to say this is a roo? It might help me with some of the others. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

[aoxa]

Most likely production red, or hatchery quality NHR. Yes, hatcheries do call Production reds, RIR. This is what my Breeder quality from show stock looks like:

and this is my hatchery quality RIR (I call her production red, but there is such a huge difference in colour and type)

Check them out standing together. Huge difference

 

[juliechick]

What am I looking for to say this is a roo? It might help me with some of the others. Thanks for the help everyone.

See how it's comb and wattles are starting to turn red? At 6 weeks, that usually means cockerel. Also, he is feathering in pretty slow. The hens will most of the time have a longer tail and just be more feathered in than the roosters. I say "usually" because there are exceptions to every rule, but those are things to look for.

 

[aoxa]

I think it's a pullet. If it is production red, they get huge combs, so the size is very small for the age. It also doesn't look very red on my computer. Maybe some pictures of the entire body would help determine gender.

 

[hdowden]

i'm thinking NHR pullet

 

[smarsh]

the red in the wings being much darker makes me think rooster of the productiion type

 

[Minniechickmama]

yes but hatcherys sell production reds as RIRs. ive had it happen many times when i ordered RIRs. they were nothing like my show quality ones.
i wasnt saying they were pure RIRs. I was just saying thats what some hatcherys call there production reds.

Don't confuse a crappy RIR to be a Red Sex Link. I don't know what hatchery you are talking about, but hatcheries by and large, are breeding their stock more towards production and not breed type. That is also why you get bad tempered birds most often from hatcheries. A crappy RIR may look a lot like a RSL, but they are very different in that they are a cross breed versus a purebred.
IF one is looking for a good show bird, you are better off going to a breeder and not a big hatchery. That being said, McMurray does produce some very good birds sometimes. The New Hampshire Red that lolita posted is a good looking bird for a hatchery NHR. The color is very good too, and the black flecks in the neck and the black in the tail are correct. However, go to the auction page for hatching eggs and cpartis's auction for NHR if you want to see some EXCELLENT quality NHRs. It doesn't take a trained eye to see the difference.
Okay, but back to the bird in question, I think the OP has it, it is an EE. I didn't notice the cheeks on him before. And yes, it is a him with that coloring and it has that "look" I have come to see is male. It is a red colored male that will have some darker flecks in the neck that will eventually grow darker and more pronounced. You will probably also notice by comparison its legs will be a little thicker than the girls. If they are green legs, then there is little doubt that it would be anything but an EE.
I hope I could be of some help, LA.

 

[Lagniappe Alpacas]

Went out and had a good look at this chick. If it helps, it has yellow legs and I remember it being a chipmunk pattern and you can see a line coming off the corner of it's eye.