my EE-hen or roo?

[chickenlisa]

Here is our chicken "chubby" as my dd named her when she (the chicken)was little. Its huge compared to the others and we've always thought it was a pullet, as we ordered 25 Rainbow layers from MM. We've been rudely surprised with at least 5 of them being roos. Now we're shocked to think chubby may also be a roo. The legs are slate colored and very thick, the feathers, as you can see, look pointy, the tail is short, but has curled feathers,so is Chubby a roo? We don't want another roo, but we love this one. Its very sweet. jThey all are except for the Blue Andalusian (not sure if he shows up in any of the pix.) He's beautiful and #1 Roo, and not very nice all the time. Well, let me know your thoughts on Chubby please. Thanks.
Lisa

 

[hinkjc]

Definitely a boy. Very handsome one too.

Jody

 

[chickenlisa]

Thanks-bummer.So here's another question...next spring, if I separate Chubby and my EE hens in a different pen, how many % of any resulting chicks would look like EE's? I know that they are already all mutts-no pure Ameracaunas (despite MM saying and selling them as that) but if I keep them together and end up with a broody hen and chicks, would they all have little muffs/beards,etc? I know I'm putting the cart before the horse here, but I had to ask.
Lisa

 

[snugglepup]

Yep, definitely a roo.

If you put them together, most will probably have muffs, but not necessarily all. Not all of the MM EEs have muffs. You could continuously select for the muffs, and eventually you would have all muffed chicks. Its fairly easy to tell as chicks which have muffs. I would also select for chickens with larger muffs over ones that have small muffs.

PS- My EEs and Ameraucanas almost never go broody, so I wouldn't hold my breath. I only ever had one EE hen that went broody. None of the pure Ameraucanas ever have.

 

[AtRendeAcres]

Yes they would produce more EE's

I don't think they will hatch them though I never heard of a broody EE

(I am thinking if you would need another hen to hatch)

Someone else should know this!

 

[hinkjc]

If all of your hens have muffs and are matched with him, the majority, if not all chicks will have muffs too. If some hens are clean faced and some muffs, anything goes.

As for broody - anything is possible. I have 2 EE hens out of a dozen that go broody every year. And they sure are stubborn broodies too. Sassy is a "true" EE mutt and Amelia is a black ameraucana, so it can happen.

Jody

 

[chickenlisa]

Thanks Jody-who knows? I'll def try it next Mar/April. One of my hens (also a mutt Polish blend) got VERY broody this past early summer and sat on 17 eggs but only let 1 live. I don't know if you all remember my posts re her-the eggs were all laid at different times and she kept letting the other hens in to lay, so they all (5) hatched out on different days and she killed all but the 1st chick. Guess what that chick is too-another Roo!
Agh!We tried to take the eggs from her once we knew what was going on, but they never hatched. The babies we tried to rescue from her were too injured to survive also. So she may not be the best broody hen to use. Or we put all the eggs under her at the same time next time and see.

Way down the road for now-we still have to get thru the holidays and winter. I sure hope NJ has an easy winter. I cringe at the thought.
Lisa in NJ