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EE's laying brown eggs?

post #1 of 10
Thread Starter 

our 6 pullets (various breeds) are laying pullet eggs but so far we haven't seen any colored eggs from either of the two EEs we have.  We've only had up to 4 eggs a day.  They're all 6 months old and it seems like we should be seeing colored eggs by now. 

 

Do EEs start later than most breeds?

 

Is it likely they'd be laying brown eggs?

 

Thanks,

 

  -DB

Suburban backyard flock with 1 Barred Rock, 1 Gold Star, 1 SLW, and 1 GLW, 2 EEs.   And a freezer full of Red Rangers from McMurray as well.

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Suburban backyard flock with 1 Barred Rock, 1 Gold Star, 1 SLW, and 1 GLW, 2 EEs.   And a freezer full of Red Rangers from McMurray as well.

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post #2 of 10
This is from my EE today, she is about 24 weeks and this is her 4th egg since Friday the 24.

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
post #3 of 10

Do your easter eggers have pea combs or straight combs? Pea combs are closely linked to green eggs.

Rachel BB
 

Well, the kittens aren't so cute anymore and the easter egger cockerels are in the freezer. Plus, I think offering them as "prizes" scared folks off! So, I'm still posting quotes, if you know it let me know. I'm very enamored of this new one, it may hang around for a while!

 

"If I'd known the world was ending I'd have brought better books"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Rachel BB
 

Well, the kittens aren't so cute anymore and the easter egger cockerels are in the freezer. Plus, I think offering them as "prizes" scared folks off! So, I'm still posting quotes, if you know it let me know. I'm very enamored of this new one, it may hang around for a while!

 

"If I'd known the world was ending I'd have brought better books"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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post #4 of 10
Not sure I would know the difference, I only have 1 EE and here she is.....

Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
post #5 of 10
Oops wrong pic.... Try again
Photobucket Pictures, Images and Photos
post #6 of 10

Did you get her from a hatchery? Her comb looks like she has mixed heritage, similar to what my birds have who are half hatchery ee/half leghorn. It's not really a pea comb, so she could be laying the light brown egg for you. Her comb looks like she's mature enough to be laying.

Rachel BB
 

Well, the kittens aren't so cute anymore and the easter egger cockerels are in the freezer. Plus, I think offering them as "prizes" scared folks off! So, I'm still posting quotes, if you know it let me know. I'm very enamored of this new one, it may hang around for a while!

 

"If I'd known the world was ending I'd have brought better books"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply

Rachel BB
 

Well, the kittens aren't so cute anymore and the easter egger cockerels are in the freezer. Plus, I think offering them as "prizes" scared folks off! So, I'm still posting quotes, if you know it let me know. I'm very enamored of this new one, it may hang around for a while!

 

"If I'd known the world was ending I'd have brought better books"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reply
post #7 of 10
I got her from a friend who found herself with too many chickens. I am not sure where she got her and she does lay the light colored eggs above. She only lays one every other day, hoping that improves. smile.png. We have 3 hens to keep a family of 5 in eggs.... Thinking I may need to get two more.
post #8 of 10

Of my 5 EEs, one is not laying yet (6 months old), 3 lay green or blue eggs, and 1 lays a light brown egg.  My experience in the past with them has been mixed also.  When I got 4 hatchery EEs, I didn't really expect them to lay green or blue eggs.  I figured if they did, it would be a huge bonus.  I was practically dancing when I started finding green and blue eggs.  In the past, some would lay colored eggs but many would not.

post #9 of 10
EE's are not a breed. They are just chickens that could have the blue egg gene. Could, not necessarily absolutely do. There are no tendencies or standards for them, color, size, pattern, traits, anything.

There are no tendencies for EE's to lay early. There are no tendencies for EE's to lay late.

Egg color depends on genetics. If the hen has even one copy of the blue egg gene, she will lay a blue or green egg. But if she only has one copy of that blue egg gene, you don't know if her children will inherit a copy of the blue egg gene or not. Same with the roosters. EE's are mixed breed chickens. You really don't know what their genetic background is.

There is a possible link between the pea comb and the blue egg gene. Those genes are very close together on the chromosome. In almost all cases the pea comb and blue egg gene will travel together, but that is almost all cases, not quite all. It is possible that they can be split and a hen with the pea comb will not lay a blue or green egg or she will lay a blue egg and not have the pea comb. So, yes, the pea comb is a good indication that they might lay a blue or green egg, but it is no guarantee.

I can complicate that a bit further. When the chicken has only one copy of the pea comb, the comb will probably not be a true pea comb but can be a wonky looking comb that is somewhere between a pea comb or a single comb. Or if the rose comb gene is present, it can look like a walnut comb. And there are other possible comb modifiers than can make the pea, rose, or walnut look funny too, like getting a buttercup comb.

With mixed genetics, and EE's are of mixed genetics, there is no guarantee of what you will get.

This article from the Ameraucanas Breeders Association shows what is required for a chicken to be an EE. You can clearly see there are no requirements.

EE/Ameraucana/Araucana comparison
http://apa-abayouthpoultryclub.org/Edu_Material/Easter%20Eggers%20vs.pdf

Where a lot of confusion comes in, several hatcheries sell chicks that they call Ameraucana or Araucana that are really EE's. Many of these flocks are based on Ameraucanas but they have had other breeds mixed with them to get the pretty colors and patterns and to improve egg laying. Some people think EE's should look something like Ameraucanas because many of these flocks were created from Ameraucanas, but that is just not true for EE's in general.

Some people think EE's came from Ameraucanas or Araucanas initially, but that is exactly backwards. Ameraucanas and Aruacanas were created from Blue egg laying chickens that came from Chile. The EE's were here first.

Denverbird, I don't know where you got your EE's, but to specifically answer your questions as simply as I can. EE's in general have no tendencies about laying early or late. That depends on the traits of their parents and those traits can be all over the board. It is also very possible that EE's can lay brown eggs.
Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought....Abraham Lincoln (Freedom carries responsibility)

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure that it is right.....Judge Learned Hand  (The more sure your are that your way is the only right way, the more likely you are wrong.)
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post #10 of 10

I have 3 EE's from a hatchery and 2 of them lay green eggs, the other one lays a cream colored egg. All 3 have pea combs. It's one of the fun things about EE's, you never know what you're gonna get!

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