EE Gender help, please :-) Oops, maybe not EE after all!

[Libchicks]

Hello everyone

I've been lurking around for a while now, admiring everyone's chickens and all the wonderfully helpful advice of the forum members. I'm new to the world of chickens and managed to pick one of the most difficult breeds to sex! I have two EEs that no one seems to be able to agree on, and would love some opinions from people who know more than I do

I'm pretty sure one is a rooster, the other I'm not so confident about.

The breeder said both were hatched around July 10, so they're around 16 weeks now. The father was a pure wheaten Ameraucana and the mother was a cross of pure wheaten and black Ameraucanas. I did learn from all you helpful forum folks that the cross breeding makes them EEs and not official Ameraucanas.

This is the whole crew. For size reference, the yawning Australorp in the background just started laying this week (First eggs! So exciting!) The two I am wondering about are in front, Stu has the reddish feathers and Olive(r) has black ones. Stu has some sickle type tail feathers coming in and Olive(r) has a pretty good comb and wattles, but they both have skinny little legs and no crowing yet.

Side view

Front view

Thank you for any help!!

Edited to change subject, also more pictures below!

 

[punky rooster]

the black one looks like a boy
other looks like pullet
and

 

[Kenshan1]

Quote:
I agree. The comb & waddles are pretty big on the black. I also see long pointy neck feathers on the black.

Shannon

 

[Happy Chooks]

They both look like girls, however, neither of them look to be bred from Ameraucana's. If they were nonstandard Ameraucana's (different color Ameraucana's bred together) they would have pea combs and beards, as these are dominant traits. And they don't have wattles. I crossed pure Ameraucana's with my Welsummer rooster, and all the chicks still came out with pea combs and beards. Neither of yours have pea combs and beards and they have wattles.

 

[Illia]

Those aren't Easter Eggers. Both have single combs, typical hatchery production-type bodies, and white earlobes. They will lay white eggs. Well, at least the black will but the orange one just might lay brown eggs, as I can't see its earlobe too well.

But, the orange one is a girl and looks to be a pure Catalana or a New Hampshire (can't see its leg color too well)

The black one looks like a pure Minorca and is a girl. Minorcas naturally have large combs and earlobes, and I don't see any other boy-like features on it. Yes, its tail is curving - But a lot of pullets have those tails. Its neck is normal and it should already be growing saddle feathers by now, but its back is completely clean of any such feather.

There is no way on earth those both had Ameraucana parents, especially Wheaten ones.

 

[Libchicks]

Hi all! Thanks so much for the quick and helpful responses

I'm glad to hear that I have at least one more girl out there, although not the blue eggs I wanted. I was wondering what the deal with their combs and wattles was

I went out and took a better picture of the black one's comb. I don't think it's a single comb, but I don't know what it qualifies as!

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Okay, now that I see it better, that is a pea comb. That's also a boy. I believe that is indeed an Easter Egger cross, but the orange one still is not. It either has a single comb or, umm, a V comb. . . Those images are indeed a little tricky to see well with.

 

[loot4louie]

I think the black is a boy and the red a girl! He is really pretty!!

 

[Libchicks]

Thanks again! You guys/gals are wonderful

Illia- I got some (hopefully better) pictures of the orange one's comb. Her legs are a very light tan/beige.

 

[loot4louie]

I looked at pics of my EE cross( crossed with some sort of red production line) from a similiar distance and age as yours. She looks just like yours. She has a pea comb and no muffs. Her pea comb just looked like a row of bumps til she got older. Enjoy, hope that helps!