3 grooved pea comb= roo? **clearer photos

[mrsruvi]

i just read that on someone elses post, that an EE with a pea comb with three distinct grooves is a roo for sure.

My betsy was the LAST one i would have thought was a roo. At first i thought she might be dominant since she would stand in the food and peep at the other girls, but she grew so much slower so i thought she couldnt possibly be a roo.

I have had them all for three and a half weeks now and my other EE girl is a bit bigger but barely any comb and its defiantly not red. Betsys got redder and has the defined things in it... is that a for sure thing?

Here are pics, sorry not great because i only had the iPad to take them with. my camera has a dead battery!

 

[Pele]

I'm sorry, but that's a cockerel. The coloration and the comb are giveaways, but the slow feathering is the nail in the coffin. Believe it or not, the roosters feather more slowly than the hens in most instances.

 

[JulieNKC]

Quote:
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[ArizonaDesertChicks]

A 3-row pea comb on an EE does not mean cockerel, but your chick is definitely a cockerel - you can tell by the size and redness of his comb at such a young age. I've had female EEs with a 3-row comb, but their combs were small, until they matured.

 

[rhs7111]

Quote:
A three row peacomb certainly always has meant cockerel in my experience with peacombed EEs. HOWEVER, let's be clear that I'm talking about three DISTINCT vertical rows of actual bumps, not a strong central row and very, very small uneveness in the comb surrounding it. As well, I have had pullet EEs, always the white/black or silver colored ones, who have had distinct reddening in their single row peacombs at an early age. I don't use comb color as a gender indicator in EEs.

(Your chick is indeed a cockerel.)

 

[Keara]

looks like a rose comb not a pea comb.

 

[mrsruvi]

oh no...

i thought s/he might be a rooster... *sigh* so these are my first chickens, what do i do? I cant have a rooster in the city....

I feel like i need to get a new chicken then! this might be chicken math, but:
I got five (two ee's, one who appears to be a cockerel) one ideal 236 (lots and lots of eggs) and two barred rocks. Then i wanted more eggs, so i went to the feed store to get another Ideal 236, but what they gave me seems to be a pale ee. and while i was there i accidentally bought a Polish. i dont know what happened there.

But now since i was planning on having two really high egg layers and now i will only have three high egg layers and two med egg layers and one gosh darn BOY

im going to have to go buy another pullet right? that only seems right doesnt it? Is it fair to ask the feed store to give me one on the house since they gave me the wrong breed AND a boy? or is that just the breaks when it comes to chickens?

 

[rhs7111]

Keep in mind that heritage breeds often lay longer than what you're calling a "high egg" layer...sometimes the hybrids "burn out" faster in terms of egg laying. So, I think you're fine either way, and your BRs will lay very well for you. Also, I've had many EEs and they are GREAT layers of large eggs! (edited to add it surely can't hurt to ask the feedstore for a replacement chick, since you paid for a sexed pullet and got a cockerel.)

 

[mrsruvi]

any suggestions what to do with him? i dont wanna keep him and make him love his ladies then separate them when he starts to crow... im not sure im hardcore enough to kill him. do they have places i can send him to have them slaughter and (whats the right term?) prepare? him?

what age do i do that anyway? since im new would it be better to just post him on craigslist? any chance he might turn out to just be a REALLY masculine hen?

if i just wait it out?

 

[cubalaya]

Quote:
nope that is what a pea comb looks like on a chick that age and yes it is a cockerel