Easter Eggers - Page 3

 

You can get a color similar, yes, but it won't be easy when it comes to exact/near exact patterning. I have some EE cockerels very similar to that hen except more red in color and with not as much patterning on the beast and thighs, however their offspring likely will have more.

 

To get something like that, best have a bird who carries the darkbrown gene, some patterning, and columbian restrictor. The big obstacle will be avoiding reddish coloration, especially near the shoulders.

What Ameraucana rooster would you put with these birds to make interesting EE?

a black, blue wheaten,  or buff roo with these girls:

 

Welsummer, Golden Cuckoo Marans, Buff orpington, delaware, Barred rock, brown leghorn, golden laced wyandotte.

 

I'd appreciate any input. Thanks.

Edited by Lark Rise - 2/28/12 at 2:36pm

My choice would be the buff.
 

 

There are some dishonest people out there who will knowingly sell you a bird and claim it is something it is not.  However, with EE/Ameraucanas I tend to believe it's simple ignorance.  The "breeder" you bought your birds from probably got them from a hatchery, and most hatcheries sell EE as "Ameraucanas" or "Americaunas" (any time you see Ameraucana spelled with an I you should instantly be cautious, the person *may* have honestly misspelled the breed name, but more often than not they are EE).  Thus the person you bought from may have genuinely thought that his birds were Ameraucanas because they were not aware of what actually makes an Ameraucana an Ameraucana.

 

Unless you were planning on showing these birds though I wouldn't worry too much about it.  EE are often (not always) better layers and often lay larger eggs than pure Ameraucana anyway. 

I say go with the Blue Wheaten. Buff will often throw the awesome dun gene but not always, in the mean time you mainly get orangey normal EE looking colors. I say go with Blue Wheaten, that way you get guaranteed 50/50 of blue based birds or not which are always pretty. Either way you also get sex-links out of the Cuckoo, Barred, and Delaware too.

 

In example, Blue Wheaten x Welsummer = males identical to the father or normal wheaten, females beautiful blue-based BBR split or normal BBR split, while Buff x Welsummer just gives you brown and orange birds with hints of black here and there. Kinda like a New Hampshire. Pretty, but after a while it gets a little repetitive as it will carry on like that with most of your gals.

Thanks for the advice. :) I am going to pick  up my roo soon. How long before th girls will carry his genes?

Edited by Lark Rise - 3/6/12 at 8:01pm

I have a number of very colorful Easter Egger banties. Should be increasing that number with all the eggs I hope to hatch this weekend! Probably have 10 or do EE eggs in the incubator...crossing my fingers that they hatch!

Carry his genes?

 

You mean are fertilized? Clarify for me.

Yes, I mean fertilize.

 

As soon as he breeds them, about the following day or 2 days later.