In this article, I will be explaining the myths and truths about Easter Eggers.
Myths:
Easter Eggers (or their descendants) were around before Araucanas and Ameraucanas. They originated from a breed with Chilean lineage. These original Easter Eggers are bred by crossing an Easter Egger with an Easter Egger and nothing else. In fact, the Araucanas and Americanas were bred from the original easter eggers.
The Araucana was accepted by the APA in 1976, and it was developed from early Easter Eggers, which carried the blue egg-laying gene. This new breed would have the qualities of rumplessness, tuftedness, and would lay blue eggs. Unfortunately, because of the tuftedness gene, only 50% of chicks would survive and have tufts, and even then the tufts often wouldn't be symmetrical. So Araucanas were very difficult to breed. In 1984 though, breeders proposed a new breed that would be an improved Araucana, they named the breed Ameraucana after the USA. The breed would have muffs, a beard, and lay blue eggs. So yes, it is true Easter Eggers aren't an officially recognized breed, and they don't have breed standards either, but in the beginning, they were their own thing. Easter Eggers don’t all lay perfectly blue eggs! They lay different shades from lichen green to aqua blue, in the same way that their feather patterns are all different!
Sources: My Pet Chicken
To summarize: At the beginning Easter Eggers were a specific strain with lineage coming from Chile. There is nothing wrong with calling your mixes EEs as nowadays that’s what an EE is. Originally though, they were their own specific thing.
They are sweet birds and have many fun color combinations!
Myths:
Easter Eggers (or their descendants) were around before Araucanas and Ameraucanas. They originated from a breed with Chilean lineage. These original Easter Eggers are bred by crossing an Easter Egger with an Easter Egger and nothing else. In fact, the Araucanas and Americanas were bred from the original easter eggers.
The Araucana was accepted by the APA in 1976, and it was developed from early Easter Eggers, which carried the blue egg-laying gene. This new breed would have the qualities of rumplessness, tuftedness, and would lay blue eggs. Unfortunately, because of the tuftedness gene, only 50% of chicks would survive and have tufts, and even then the tufts often wouldn't be symmetrical. So Araucanas were very difficult to breed. In 1984 though, breeders proposed a new breed that would be an improved Araucana, they named the breed Ameraucana after the USA. The breed would have muffs, a beard, and lay blue eggs. So yes, it is true Easter Eggers aren't an officially recognized breed, and they don't have breed standards either, but in the beginning, they were their own thing. Easter Eggers don’t all lay perfectly blue eggs! They lay different shades from lichen green to aqua blue, in the same way that their feather patterns are all different!
Sources: My Pet Chicken
To summarize: At the beginning Easter Eggers were a specific strain with lineage coming from Chile. There is nothing wrong with calling your mixes EEs as nowadays that’s what an EE is. Originally though, they were their own specific thing.
They are sweet birds and have many fun color combinations!
