Easter Egger hen turned out to be a rooster!

[Aurora1]

Hi!

I bought two Easter Eggers but knew that they weren't sexed. One started crowing today at 10 weeks old. I guess we have a rooster! Unfortunately, he's getting mean with the hens and is generally quite unfriendly. We were really hoping for all laying hens.

I'm going to look to re-home him but wondered... if he is already a 'cross' so to speak (Ameraucana and I'm not sure what!) - if someone was hoping to hatch new Easter Egger chicks with him as the mate... would the chicks still be considered Easter Eggers? Will they still lay blue or green eggs when they mature? My question might sound confusing, but I think I've read something about cross breeds not being good for hatching new chicks. Any help is appreciated!

Thanks!
Aurora

PS. I was going to include a photo of him but can't figure out how to attach a picture! Lol. (Maybe because I'm on an iPad?)

 

[Michael OShay]

An EE rooster has both a blue egg gene and a brown egg gene. When mated with a brown egg layer, whether or not his offspring will be EEs that lay colored eggs will depend on whether he passes his blue egg gene or his brown egg gene to the offspring.

 

[Old Rando]

An EE rooster has both a blue egg gene and a brown egg gene.

This part of your statement is likely true but not an absolute. I have had lots of hatchery easter eggers over the years and although most do carry both blue and brown egg shell genetics I still have had hens that were actual blue egg layers and also brown egg layers. A rooster of similar background does have the potential for being genetically pure for either trait.

 

[Michael OShay]

This part of your statement is likely true but not an absolute. I have had lots of hatchery easter eggers over the years and although most do carry both blue and brown egg shell genetics I still have had hens that were actual blue egg layers and also brown egg layers. A rooster of similar background does have the potential for being genetically pure for either trait.

This actually becomes a matter of semantics as to whether it is true or not. Since EEs have are hybirds (rather than an actual breed), there are no standards for them. I have seen many threads on BYC where members argued over whether or not a bird is actually an EE. Some BYC members consider the offspring of any 2 EEs to be an EE whether or not they carry a blue egg gene and lay colored eggs as opposed to just brown eggs. Other BYC members do not consider the offspring of two EEs, or an EE and a brown egg layer, to be an EE unless they carry the blue egg gene and lay eggs of some color other than brown. The question when breeding EEs then becomes when do EE offspring cease to become EEs and since there are no standards, the answer is cloudy. Personally I would not call a bird an EE if it did not carry a blue gene egg. Of course the problem is that the only way to know for sure is to actually see what color of egg the pullet lays. The problem becomes even further compounded with cockerels which do not lay eggs. However, if you personally disagree and call any offspring of Easter Eggers, EEs, even if they lay brown eggs then that is certainly your prerogative. Since there are no actual standards for EEs there is no authority to tell either of us that we are wrong in our definition of an EE. )

 

[Old Rando]

Good point Michael OShay, no argument here. Certainly my concept of easter eggers are not the same for everyone

 

[Aurora1]

So it's sounds like either way, it's a wait and see game!

Thanks to both of you for your thoughtful replies - I apperciate it! It would have been so much easier if 'he' would have been a 'she'!