Compare and contrast: Blue Eggs (Ameraucana, Araucana, Legbar)

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ShockValue

ShockValue

Songster
10 Years
Jan 10, 2010
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West Sound, Washington
We are researching adding a blue egg layer (or 2 or 3) to our flock. Along with healthy birds, our goal is to create a colorful (and full!) egg basket. I was curious how the eggs of Ameraucana, Araucana, and Legbar compared to one another in regard to size, color, frequency, etc.

I've read that often Ameraucana eggs can have more of a shiny/satin finish, whereas the Legbar eggs are always matte. Where does the Araucana fall in this category?
 
ShockValue said:
We are researching adding a blue egg layer (or 2 or 3) to our flock. Along with healthy birds, our goal is to create a colorful (and full!) egg basket. I was curious how the eggs of Ameraucana, Araucana, and Legbar compared to one another in regard to size, color, frequency, etc.

I've read that often Ameraucana eggs can have more of a shiny/satin finish, whereas the Legbar eggs are always matte. Where does the Araucana fall in this category?
Click to expand...
Any of those breeds may give you exactly what you want. All three breeds can give blue or greenish eggs although the Araucana is supposed to be more in the blue category. I've found the cream legbar eggs can have a round shape if that makes a difference.
Depending on your winters, the cream legbar is probably most at risk of getting a frost bitten comb.
 
As with any chicken it can depend on the individual bird and with pure breeds
(if you actually can find pure breeds, especially Am and Ar),
it often depends on genetic lines.

I have no pure breeds, only EE and OE, so can't answer as to size and frequency.
 
Generalizing for a breed is not very accurate, I have 2 strains of BBS Ameraucanas and one strain lays much better because it has birds bred for production in it's background. I'm sure the other would place better in a poultry show. Our CCL's were laying great, for a while, now they stopped and the Ams are picking up the slack.

My point is that this is not a simple thing to compare. The most and prettiest blue eggs may very well come from a hybrid of the 2 or with some other breed. Read up and watch videos and pics of the various breeds and then see what is available to you. Commercially, you will find it difficult to obtain anything other than hatchery Amerauacanas, aka "Easter Eggers". I think it's worth looking for the more unusual breeds, but my main goal is not the highest production of pretty eggs, if it was, I'd go with the commercial EE's.
 
I fully agree there will be differences between lines and birds. Until your particular bird is laying, it would be impossible to say exactly what egg you will be getting.
However it doesn't seem like it would be impossible to speak in generalities, unless the eggs of these breeds are so similar that the minor variation from bird to bird and line to line outweighs the breed genetics.

In which case, I guess it's a moot point and I would be happy (or un) with the eggs of any or all of the breeds in question :)

@aart - finding is half the fun :)
 
I am also looking to add a couple of blue egg layers to my flock. I have two easter eggers which I do love and they both lay a minty green egg. One is very tame and prefers humans to the other chickens. Hangs by herself all the time in the coop and loves to be picked up and held by me. The other hen is kind of flighty but she is beautiful with a pheasant looking color to her. I live in Maine so am thinking the Ameraucanas might be the best choice over the Cream Legbars. It is very cold here. I was told by someone that the EEs usually have a leg color that might hint what the egg color would be. Has anyone heard of that or is that just a myth that someone is passing on?
I can't find any Ameraucana breeders here in Maine so far? I would have to order chicks shipped most likely or hatch eggs if I want the purebred Ameraucanas. I would like to find a nice blue if anyone has a suggestion
 
Last edited:
green egg said:
I am also looking to add a couple of blue egg layers to my flock. I have two easter eggers which I do love and they both lay a minty green egg. One is very tame and prefers humans to the other chickens. Hangs by herself all the time in the coop and loves to be picked up and held by me. The other hen is kind of flighty but she is beautiful with a pheasant looking color to her. I live in Maine so am thinking the Ameraucanas might be the best choice over the Cream Legbars. It is very cold here. I was told by someone that the EEs usually have a leg color that might hint what the egg color would be. Has anyone heard of that or is that just a myth that someone is passing on?
I can't find any Ameraucana breeders here in Maine so far? I would have to order chicks shipped most likely or hatch eggs if I want the purebred Ameraucanas. I would like to find a nice blue if anyone has a suggestion
Click to expand...
Leg color has to do with skin color which is one of the factors in determining a pure bred Ameraucana.
EE's usually have green legs which Am's do not....tho Am's were originally bred from EE's.
It's a long and complicated story.

But you can get blue eggs from hatchery EE's, I have one...but it can be a crap shoot.
 
That is interesting about the breeding. I keep seeing the Ameraucana Wheatens on here and other websites and somehow they appeal to me a lot. I think that is the direction I might head. I have now Australorpes, Faverolles, Speckled Sussex and EEs mostly. I love them all. The Australorpes have such personality and if anyone gets into trouble, it is them. One got her head stuck in the nest box and we had to put a board behind.
They are always talking and wanting attention. Curious and lively.
 

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