What color should easter egger chicks legs be?

[Melissa77]

The ONLY, and yes I mean ONLY because it is a fact, research it, factor in an EE being an EE is if its daddy is a PURE bred blue gene carrier (Ameraucana, Arcauna, Cream Legbar etc) and momma hen lays any color egg. Except the dark chocolate layers like Marans, Welsummers etc. Nothing else makes an EE an EE. As mentioned above they can look like anything , they are a mutt and also referred to as Rainbow layers. Not only do they lay green/blue but also numerous variations of those two colors as well as pink, tan, brown , etc. I love my EE, always a true surprise with chicks not just what will they lay but how will they look!
If your breeding them, you must use a pure bred blue gene carrier The ONLY, and yes I mean ONLY because it is a fact, research it, factor in an EE being an EE is if its daddy is a PURE bred blue gene carrier (Ameraucana, Arcauna, Cream Legbar etc) and momma hen lays any color egg. Except the dark chocolate layers like Marans, Welsummers etc. (cuz that would be an olive egger) Nothing else makes an EE an EE. As mentioned above they can look like anything , they are a mutt and also referred to as Rainbow layers. Not only do they lay green/blue but also numerous variations of those two colors as well as pink, tan, brown , etc. I love my EE, always a true surprise with chicks not just what will they lay but how will they look!
If your breeding them, you must use a pure bred blue gene carrier ROOSTER Or you will lose the colored egg trait more and more as the generations go.
ALSO... JUST CUZ IT CAME FROM A HATCHERY DOESNT MEAN IT S WHAT IT IS. I had someone with ”pure arcaunas” who insisted they were not EE cuz she ordered from hatchery. They most certainly were EE.
Hope this helps.

 

[speckledhen]

The ONLY, and yes I mean ONLY because it is a fact, research it, factor in an EE being an EE is if its daddy is a PURE bred blue gene carrier (Ameraucana, Arcauna, Cream Legbar etc) and momma hen lays any color egg. Except the dark chocolate layers like Marans, Welsummers etc. Nothing else makes an EE an EE. As mentioned above they can look like anything , they are a mutt and also referred to as Rainbow layers. Not only do they lay green/blue but also numerous variations of those two colors as well as pink, tan, brown , etc. I love my EE, always a true surprise with chicks not just what will they lay but how will they look!
If your breeding them, you must use a pure bred blue gene carrier The ONLY, and yes I mean ONLY because it is a fact, research it, factor in an EE being an EE is if its daddy is a PURE bred blue gene carrier (Ameraucana, Arcauna, Cream Legbar etc) and momma hen lays any color egg. Except the dark chocolate layers like Marans, Welsummers etc. (cuz that would be an olive egger) Nothing else makes an EE an EE. As mentioned above they can look like anything , they are a mutt and also referred to as Rainbow layers. Not only do they lay green/blue but also numerous variations of those two colors as well as pink, tan, brown , etc. I love my EE, always a true surprise with chicks not just what will they lay but how will they look!
If your breeding them, you must use a pure bred blue gene carrier ROOSTER Or you will lose the colored egg trait more and more as the generations go.
ALSO... JUST CUZ IT CAME FROM A HATCHERY DOESNT MEAN IT S WHAT IT IS. I had someone with ”pure arcaunas” who insisted they were not EE cuz she ordered from hatchery. They most certainly were EE.
Hope this helps.

I'm sorry, but I beg to differ. You can create an EE with any breed rooster. I've done it numerous times using both true Ameraucana hens and Easter Egger (mixed breed, green or blue egg laying) hens. The hens laid green eggs of different shades. I've used Barred Plymouth Rock roosters, I've used Delaware roosters. Doesn't matter. And the daughters of that cross, as long as they have pea combs, also laid green eggs, so the blue egg gene was not lost.


I realize the original, though revived, thread is three years old, but to the question, EEs have no standard so can have any color legs. Two of mine happen to have slate legs and one has white, but I've had green egg laying EE hens with yellow legs as well.

 

[Melissa77]

You can disagree and im glad you have had luck with that. ' The fact is traits are consistantly inherited from the Rooster. Im not debating it lol
Congrats on your hatches

 

[speckledhen]

You can disagree and im glad you have had luck with that. ' The fact is traits are consistantly inherited from the Rooster. Im not debating it lol
Congrats on your hatches

Overall, roosters tend to pass traits to daughters and hens to sons, case in point the barring gene, however, egg color is not technically a sex linked trait as far as I know. Brown egg laying breed roosters over blue/green egg laying hens generally do produce green egg laying daughters (if they are not single combed). But it does not matter which parent had the blue egg gene as long as it is passed to the progeny.

I have had, however, hens who came out of an Easter Egger rooster (pea combed, so you'd think he had the blue egg gene) over Barred Rock hens. Both hens laid brown eggs. So, they did not get the blue egg gene from the sire. Case in point where trait was not passed from the rooster. Genes are not that easy to gauge in Easter Eggers, too many factors, you have no idea what's in their genetic soup, no matter what they look like.

 

[aoxa]

Easter Eggers are NOT a breed. There is no set standard, only one in the eye of the breeder who breeds them. I myself just like a cool pattern on them, and green eggs. My Ameraucanas are for the blue eggs.

I have crested Easter Eggers as well.

My standard for the cross is that they are well tempered, pretty and lay a green egg. Their legs range from yellow to slate. I even have some with pink legs.



















All the turquoise eggs are from the crested EE in the first picture.

Since I have Ameraucanas, beards and muffs aren't as important to me with the EEs.. Anything with a single comb is sold as mutts. Only peacombed birds get sold as EEs. I hatched around 500 of them this year.

 

[draye]

Easter Eggers are NOT a breed. There is no set standard, only one in the eye of the breeder who breeds them. I myself just like a cool pattern on them, and green eggs. My Ameraucanas are for the blue eggs. I have crested Easter Eggers as well. My standard for the cross is that they are well tempered, pretty and lay a green egg. Their legs range from yellow to slate. I even have some with pink legs. I too have Crested Easter Eggers. Having a hard time getting them to increase though. Just got me a new Polish rooster. Partridge Polish. Now I have Naked Neck Easter Eggers. I have one hen that is about 18-19 weeks old and now have some hatching. 7 so far 3 non NN and 4 with naked necks. Hoping for green/blue eggs from them. All the turquoise eggs are from the crested EE in the first picture. Since I have Ameraucanas, beards and muffs aren't as important to me with the EEs.. Anything with a single comb is sold as mutts. Only peacombed birds get sold as EEs. I hatched around 500 of them this year.

 

[aoxa]

I too have Crested Easter Eggers. Having a hard time getting them to increase though. Just got me a new Polish rooster. Partridge Polish.

Now I have Naked Neck Easter Eggers. I have one hen that is about 18-19 weeks old and now have some hatching. 7 so far 3 non NN and 4 with naked necks. Hoping for green/blue eggs from them.

Getting them to increase? What do you mean?

Many of my Easter Eggers are off of my Naked Necks. I keep blue and green egg laying naked necks as well.

Once you get a Naked Neck rooster with a pea comb, you only have to have one breeding pen to get two different kinds of chicks!

 

[draye]

Getting them to increase? What do you mean?

Many of my Easter Eggers are off of my Naked Necks. I keep blue and green egg laying naked necks as well.

Once you get a Naked Neck rooster with a pea comb, you only have to have one breeding pen to get two different kinds of chicks!

I mean in numbers. Seems like every time I decide to set some eggs they almost quit laying. I think they don't want babies. I'm up to four hens now and only two are laying right now and it's about only every day or two I get an egg.
I've had an awful time getting a good crested rooster. First one I used he was so flighty I couldn't walk into the run without him going totally nuts. I got a son off him that turned out White(I assume a silver) with 1/2 spangles on his breast. After I used him (he had white legs, which I can't stand on Easter Eggers) and threw nearly all yellow legged babies (another no no for me). So now I've found the Partridge Polish guy that I'm going to use for a while to see if I can get a better crest and better looking legs hopefully blue but could live with dark like the roo has.

 

[Michael OShay]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about what constitutes an EE regarding comb type, leg color, etc. While it is true that there is no APA or ABA standard for EEs as they are hybrids, the most widely accepted definition of an EE is that which has been established by the Ameraucana Breeders Club, which defines an Easter Egger as "any chicken that possesses the blue egg gene, but doesn't fully meet any breed descriptions as defined in the APA and/or ABA standards." (http://www.ameraucana.org/faq.html#TWO) By this definition, an EE is not determined by either the type of comb it has, the color of its legs, or its feather colors and patterns. No matter what the chicken looks like, if it possesses the blue egg gene received from one of its parents, it is an EE.

 

[speckledhen]

Most are not even technically hybrids, which is a cross of only two breeds. Most are crosses of crosses. And what do you call an EE who comes from two EEs or two Ameraucanas or one of each and does not get the blue egg gene from either parent? That's what you get with many of the hatchery EEs, who look the part but who end up laying brown eggs. They obviously did not inherit the blue egg gene so what do you call them? For lack of a better term, they are still EEs, IMO. If you call them a barnyard mix, well, to me that's what an EE is anyway. The ones I made with my true Ameraucanas and brown egg breed roosters were hybrids, certainly, only two breeds included, like sex links.

I have a hen who came from a BBS Ameraucana flock, not hatchery stock, but breeder Ameraucanas, who has has a pea comb and slate legs, but who lays a brown egg. By her type, her spurs, her lack of beard, everything, she has some Sumatra in her lineage from generations back. Both parents were Ameraucanas, not EEs, but what the heck do I call this mutant hen? I would call her an EE, but some have issue with that. I can't call her Ameraucana, though that is what she is, genetically. She's apparently in a class by herself. She should have the blue egg gene from at least one parent, but she doesn't. Bizarre what genes can do, isn't it?