Super Blue Egg Layer

I wrote a comment but now that my pullets are laying I'm writing a fuller review. Initially I was intrigued by these birds but put off by the price. At the time I believe it was around $21.00 for a day old pullet plus shipping, but the more I read I came to the conclusion it was something I could do myself at a fraction of the cost and perhaps do even better than the hatchery stock.
The formula is simply a blue egg layer bred to a production white layer. The word super I am lead to believe refers to the number of eggs a hen will lay. Many of the pullets and even cockerels are white with flecking because one parent is probably a white leghorn.
I used an Ameraucana rooster over barred mothers so the progeny were sex linked and I got seven pullets from ten eggs. The girls are all black, half have muffs and would fit the description of Easter eggers, which having an Ameraucana father they could be called this.
It did take them 7.5 months to start laying although their mothers all started laying at 6 months but probably the time of year had something to do with this. Half are laying now and the others look like they could start anytime.
Because they are pullets their eggs are still small (Their mothers' eggs were small at this stage and gradually increased to extra large.) but they are all a beautiful pale robin's egg blue. I do have one EE who lays a lovely blue egg but the rest their eggs are more of a greenish blue so I am very happy with the color.
Talking with other people who have raised their own, you will get a better shade of blue if the parent carrying the blue egg gene actually lays blue eggs as opposed to green or if the rooster, if he is from a line that lays blue eggs.
Because there are different breeds that can go into making this variety the temperaments, coloration and size of the birds can vary although mine are friendly as were the few roosters I gave away.

I hatched one of these out from My Pet Chicken. She is now 8 weeks old. No muffs like the pullet appears to have in the picture on their website. She is really aggressive toward my other chickens and really skittish of humans. A very pretty bird, however, all white with a black speck here and there. I'm anxious to see those blue eggs! I'm hoping to keep her but not if she's going to peck my Silkies to death. UPDATE: My SBEL is definitely a rooster. He is aggressive and flightly as all get out. Crows at all moments of the day. Would I hatch these out again? No. I have Orpington roos more docile.

I will update the review when I get more info on this "Designer Breed" These were marked as the SBEL. When I asked MY Pet Chicken about these chickens not matching the picture or the description listed for the Chicks, they told me that they do not always use a picture of the accurate chick on their web sight. However the sight clearly says and I quote "Super Blue Egg Layer – These start out as yellow chicks and they grow into white hens with black flecks. They typically start laying at the early age of 24 weeks. These hens lay HUGE blue eggs, five to six times per week." Clearly the two chickens pictured below are not white. When I pointed this out to them they seemed to not be able to comprehend what I as talking about. The description for their SCEL says this: Super Chocolate Egg Layer – "Another super-secret recipe from the minds at My Pet Chicken! The Super Chocolate Egg Layers are great producers of large chocolate eggs, and will produce five to six eggs per week. These birds will do well in both hot and cold climates, are friendly, hardy, and beautiful to look at! Almost all will be white with black flecks. Some will have blue flecks, and some will be barnyard colored. (Fun!)" I had yellow chicks with black spots hatch from the eggs that I received that were marked SCEL. So I am still somewhat confused. However a friend of mine just hatched out some SCEL and they hatched out yellow as well. So I can only assume that the blue one below and the black one that looks like a Black Copper Marans are truly SBEL. They are five months old in a week (5-08-16) and close to laying, then I will know for sure. But this is really annoying. And My Pet Chicken does not seem to be concerned that they are using false photos to advertise their chickens.

They came out of these eggs

And here they are as chicks

UPDATE:
The hen in the top picture does lay very light blue eggs. They are so light that you can barely call them blue. Also they are not Super in any way. They are medium sized at best. The hen in the second picture was clearly mislabeled when shipped out to me. She lays brown eggs. we not happy with the results compared to the description that was given on the sight.

I consider it false advertising that they put pictures of hens that are not what the hens look like when they hatch. I do not know why they do that and their explanation is grossly inadequate. These hatching eggs were expensive and when you shop for hatching eggs you assume that the picture that is included with the hatching eggs is a representation of what the hen will look like when they are grown. This is NOT the case with the hatching eggs at My Pet Chicken. To say that the hens are "A super secret recipe" is just not good enough. Also these Chickens are strange. Their instincts seem to be off, they are flighty and very broody.