I have a 6 week old EE. I was wondering if this is a male or female.
Easter egger male or female??
Here is another picture of the same EE.
Hard to say, but if the comb and wattles are bigger than others the same age and darker, you may have a male.
Looks a little like my EE that is male that has just started crowing...
I'm voting rooster. Someone here (sorry, can't remember who) suggested back when I first got my Ameracaunas that three rows of bumps on the comb meant roo, one row, hen. I didn't believe it since they were supposed to be all pullets, but time proved him/her right.
I'm trying to apply the theory to some EE's, so we'll see how it turns out with mixes. At this point they all seem to be hens, which would be highly improbable *G*.
My Backyard Poultry came yesterday and discusses different methods of "sexing" chicks, and doesn't mention that, but it would only work with pea comb breeds, and I'm not sure it would be consistent with mixed breeds. My Turken/Ameracauna Xs roos have very strange combs, but do follow three "three row" description.
Catmad, I was right??? Cool... Yes, the 3 rows were Roos every time for me.. :) That was me that said that. :)
Wouldn't that be cool if they were all hens!?
About the one in the picture? I can't tell for sure if that is 3 rows, but it looks like it.. and it also looks like a roo to me.. Seems that comb is pretty red for only 6 weeks.. I say Roo too..
Edited to add..
Now I'm pretty sure it's a roo..
Those hackle feathers (neck) are obviously roo feathers! Hen's hackles are blunt ended.. Roo's hackle feathers are long sword like pointed skinny feathers..
This message was edited Jun 2, 2011 8:04 AM
I thought it was you, but didn't want to misattribute *G*. Yup, it was right, thrre of my "pullets" were not. It's all good, though. I got three different colors, and they have made many colorful (and some rather bizarre) chicks.
So, thank you. Now I'll let ya know how it works with combs that are not really pea.
Catmad, none of my sexing methods are mentioned anywhere.. and it kinda baffles me, cause some of them work and to me were quite obvious, making that guessing game a lot easier! :) (my favorite guessing game of all)
I happen to have Ameraucanas now, but I LOVE EEs for the wild and beautiful colors they can produce!
I have 13 chicks right now, so I can get to work figuring out what I have. :) Some of mine have been straight comb, cause I'm working with a fairly new color strain.
I just got 6 of what were supposed to be "purebreds". Umm, the pink legs on some kinda disallow that, I think...
But, they're cute, and they do seem to have pea combs. Can't get very close to them yet...
Okay, give. What color? Lots of my muttlings are tuning out with some kind of blue, which is fine with me. Now I just need to figure out what's what :)
Pink legs on an Ameraucana? No, that is not purebred.. sorry. :( I had a rude awakening a couple years ago about some eggs I bought and didn't read the description good enough.. :( sad..
I have lavender Ameraucana. It is different than a blue.. A blue has a darker head and tail, these are all the same color.. They are ok.. but not great layers at all, in fact, the large ones are "fair weather" layers.. The bantams are laying machines all year long! Yes, they lay blue eggs, but I have a couple of black Ameraucanas that lay prettier blue than the lavenders I have.
This EE's brother doubled in size in just a week with a very large red comb. He has already been given to a new home. His tail feathers were also turning downward. He also had larger legs and stood tall. So he was an obvious roo. I was really hoping this was a hen. I think I looked at the hackle feathers on this one before. I think the darker coloring in them is pointed but the actual feather(lighter shade) is rounded. I will look at them again.
I went out and looked at the hackle feathers and they are rounded and flat tipped. It is the coloring that is pointed. There are some new feathers coming in up higher. They could be pointy.
There is always a dominant roo.. the next in line will not mature to the same extent. I just have the pictures to go by.. and going by the pictures, it looks like a roo to me.. I hope I'm wrong!
My two cents for what its worth would be Roo as well.. it looks a lot like some of mine i hoped were hens but weren't. I ended up with 7 roos & 3 hens out of that bunch.
Yes I am beginning to believe roo also. Rust colored patches on the shoulders just started coming in. Since I got rid of his brother his comb is getting more pink.