Anyone breeding Easter Eggers? If so, please share pics!

[rascal66]

I'm seriously a nut for Easter Eggers. I want to breed them and start making and selling my own!

Anyone out there ever bred them? I would love to see pictures of the breeds/parents used and see the chick colors!

Today I went to the farm store and couldn't help but pick up a couple EEs. If only they sold Roosters, I'd grab a couple too to start my own breeding.... One can only wish!

I couldn't help but notice such a vast variety of colors. I saw chipmunks, dark blues and creamy colors, and also white chicks with a bunch of crazy and impressive black markings/streaks over the body. I should have grabbed that one, it just looked so unique, but I wanted to grab a bunch of blue chicks in hopes of something pretty.

Please share with me your Easter Egger pics!

 

[pennyJo1960]

The easter egger per say is not registered or regulated breed but lays a blue to green to brown eggs

 

[rascal66]

The easter egger per say is not registered or regulated breed but lays a blue to green to brown eggs

Thats quite alright, I just loooove the variety of colors and traits they can bring to the table. They're truly my favorite!

 

[Ms Biddy]

I understand why you love EE's and there's no reason you can't breed your own. I've bred mine and learned that they seem to be homozygous for the blue egg gene. So, I've been able to use them to make more blue egg layers and crossed them with Marans to make olive eggers. However, this isn't the case for all EE's. If they are heterozygous for the blue egg gene, a percentage of their chicks will grow up to lay non-blue or non-green eggs. Regardless of what color they lay, they're always pretty and fun to experiment with.

 

[pennyJo1960]

maybe this will help your choosing birds

 

[pennyJo1960]

Marans can be wing sexed...females develop 2 distinct rows of flight feathers and fledge generally all over...whereas males will have "bald" spots with just fuzz...and not develop wing feathers as fast.

When males do develop wing feathers, they are 1 row at first.



We like to do the sock test, too...it is fun !



Ball up a sock, and toss it over the box of chicks, and the cockerels will stand up on alert and the pullets will run & duck & hide.



Old wives way to sex chicks.



Wellies can be sexed the same as all "wild type" or "chipmunk" chicks are sexed...generally the males are lighter...a small light V on the head, and no eye liner.



The pullets will have darker stripes & eye liner running from the side of the eye back.

 

[pennyJo1960]

This was all given to me over time wanting to pass on to you
Black Sex-linked

There are two important genes that must be a part of a black sex-linked cross; the E locus allele called extended black (E) and the sex-linked barring gene (B). The Barred Plymouth rock carries both E and B and both genes are used as the female side in commercial black sex linked crosses while the male side of the cross is a Rhode Island Red or a New Hampshire. Birchen birds at times can be used in black sex linked crosses. It is best to leave the use of birchen birds to individuals that have tested the birds for the correct genotype. If birchen birds do not have the correct genotype, the offspring will not be black sex linked.

A few specifics to remember about a black sex-linked cross are:

1) the female must carry sex-linked barring (barred),

2) the male cannot carry sex-linked barring (male cannot be barred),

3) one of the birds must be homozygous for extended black or carry two extended black genes and

4) neither of the birds can carry dominant white or in other words be a white bird. Some recessive white birds may work on the male side of the cross but you never know if it will work or not work. So I suggest not using white birds.

5). Almost any variety (color) of male (not including white or barred) can be used in a black sex linked cross. White birds sometimes carry dominant white and or barring which would not work in a black sex linked cross. White males that do not carry dominant white or barring will work as the male in a black sex linked cross. White males like the white wyandotte or the white plymouth rock will work if they do not carry dominant white or barring.

In a black sex-linked cross, the female will only contribute the barring gene to the male offspring. So the adult males will be black and barred. The female offspring will receive their sex linked trait from the father; in this case, the recessive gene for no barring. So the females will not be barred as adults.

It is also important that the chick down has a black dorsal surface, back and top of the head; this allows for the barring gene to be expressed as a white or cream spot on top of the male chicks head. See Illustration 5. This is why a white bird that carries dominant white cannot be used to produce black sex linked chicks. The top of the head would be white and the white spot will not show. Males that carry barring can not be used because the males will produce females chicks with white spots on their heads.

The top of a female chicks head will be a solid black color. See Illustration 6. The chicks in the pictures do not have a white belly like many other black sex linked chicks.

Illustration 5 male black sex-link Illustration 6 female black sex-link




Examples of breeds that can be used for black sex linked crosses.


1 Male carries the blue egg shell gene.
2 Not a good choice may carry barring.
3. Carry the genes for white egg shell.

Feather Sexing Chicks

Color sexing chicks can be a difficult task and is dependent upon the phenotype of the chick. If a chick does not have the correct down color, then you can not color sex the chick. There is a way of using another sex-linked trait to sex chicks based upon the size of the primary and secondary feathers on the wing of a newly hatched chick.

Feather sexing chicks can be accomplished by crossing males that are homozygous for rapid feather growth or carry two rapid feather growth alleles ( k+/k+) with females that are hemizygous or carry only one slow feather growth allele ( K/_W).

The female parent contributes a dominant gene for slow feather growth (K) to all the male offspring while the female offspring will inherit only one rapid feather growth allele ( k+) from the father. This cross produces males that have slow feather growth (K/k+) and females that have rapid feather growth (k+/_W).


The following site provides an excellent example of how to tell the difference between a rapid feathering female (pullet) chick and a slow feathering male (cockerel) chick. You have to examine the feathers on the wings of the newly hatched chick. Wait until the down dries and examine the wing feathers.

http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm


The table below contains some of the birds that can be crossed to produce chicks that can be feather sexed.

Any of the males in the table, can be crossed with any of the females in the table to produce offspring that can be feather sexed. If you purchased your birds from a hatchery, check with the hatchery to see if the hatchery feather sexed the birds you purchased. If your stock was feather sexed, then the chickens cannot be used for feather sexing crosses.

 

[rascal66]

I understand why you love EE's and there's no reason you can't breed your own. I've bred mine and learned that they seem to be homozygous for the blue egg gene. So, I've been able to use them to make more blue egg layers and crossed them with Marans to make olive eggers. However, this isn't the case for all EE's. If they are heterozygous for the blue egg gene, a percentage of their chicks will grow up to lay non-blue or non-green eggs. Regardless of what color they lay, they're always pretty and fun to experiment with. View attachment 1694514 View attachment 1694515 View attachment 1694516 View attachment 1694517 View attachment 1694518

you have such GORGEOUS EE's!!! Especially the last hen you posted, that blue/orange is my ultimate goal when I choose to breed them. Happen to know what you crossed to get her colors? (If you need to get her). Awesome.

Now, I'm fairly unfamiliar and new to chicken genetics and terminology, so I'll need to see what homozygous and heterozygous means in this case.

Thanks so much for sharing, such impressive EEs.

 

[rascal66]

Marans can be wing sexed...females develop 2 distinct rows of flight feathers and fledge generally all over...whereas males will have "bald" spots with just fuzz...and not develop wing feathers as fast.

When males do develop wing feathers, they are 1 row at first.



We like to do the sock test, too...it is fun !



Ball up a sock, and toss it over the box of chicks, and the cockerels will stand up on alert and the pullets will run & duck & hide.



Old wives way to sex chicks.



Wellies can be sexed the same as all "wild type" or "chipmunk" chicks are sexed...generally the males are lighter...a small light V on the head, and no eye liner.



The pullets will have darker stripes & eye liner running from the side of the eye back.

That's very interesting, I had no idea about this. I'll also need to try that sock test, lol! Also, does the balding you mentioned also happened in other breeds? I noticed one of my light Brahma x white leghorn chick had some bald spots on the shoulder... Wondering now if its a cockerel.

thanks so much for the chart too! I don't know much about the Lavender color. I feel like I have a lot of reading to do.

 

[rascal66]

This was all given to me over time wanting to pass on to you
Black Sex-linked

There are two important genes that must be a part of a black sex-linked cross; the E locus allele called extended black (E) and the sex-linked barring gene (B). The Barred Plymouth rock carries both E and B and both genes are used as the female side in commercial black sex linked crosses while the male side of the cross is a Rhode Island Red or a New Hampshire. Birchen birds at times can be used in black sex linked crosses. It is best to leave the use of birchen birds to individuals that have tested the birds for the correct genotype. If birchen birds do not have the correct genotype, the offspring will not be black sex linked.

A few specifics to remember about a black sex-linked cross are:

1) the female must carry sex-linked barring (barred),

2) the male cannot carry sex-linked barring (male cannot be barred),

3) one of the birds must be homozygous for extended black or carry two extended black genes and

4) neither of the birds can carry dominant white or in other words be a white bird. Some recessive white birds may work on the male side of the cross but you never know if it will work or not work. So I suggest not using white birds.

5). Almost any variety (color) of male (not including white or barred) can be used in a black sex linked cross. White birds sometimes carry dominant white and or barring which would not work in a black sex linked cross. White males that do not carry dominant white or barring will work as the male in a black sex linked cross. White males like the white wyandotte or the white plymouth rock will work if they do not carry dominant white or barring.

In a black sex-linked cross, the female will only contribute the barring gene to the male offspring. So the adult males will be black and barred. The female offspring will receive their sex linked trait from the father; in this case, the recessive gene for no barring. So the females will not be barred as adults.

It is also important that the chick down has a black dorsal surface, back and top of the head; this allows for the barring gene to be expressed as a white or cream spot on top of the male chicks head. See Illustration 5. This is why a white bird that carries dominant white cannot be used to produce black sex linked chicks. The top of the head would be white and the white spot will not show. Males that carry barring can not be used because the males will produce females chicks with white spots on their heads.

The top of a female chicks head will be a solid black color. See Illustration 6. The chicks in the pictures do not have a white belly like many other black sex linked chicks.

Illustration 5 male black sex-link Illustration 6 female black sex-link




Examples of breeds that can be used for black sex linked crosses.


1 Male carries the blue egg shell gene.
2 Not a good choice may carry barring.
3. Carry the genes for white egg shell.

Feather Sexing Chicks

Color sexing chicks can be a difficult task and is dependent upon the phenotype of the chick. If a chick does not have the correct down color, then you can not color sex the chick. There is a way of using another sex-linked trait to sex chicks based upon the size of the primary and secondary feathers on the wing of a newly hatched chick.

Feather sexing chicks can be accomplished by crossing males that are homozygous for rapid feather growth or carry two rapid feather growth alleles ( k+/k+) with females that are hemizygous or carry only one slow feather growth allele ( K/_W).

The female parent contributes a dominant gene for slow feather growth (K) to all the male offspring while the female offspring will inherit only one rapid feather growth allele ( k+) from the father. This cross produces males that have slow feather growth (K/k+) and females that have rapid feather growth (k+/_W).


The following site provides an excellent example of how to tell the difference between a rapid feathering female (pullet) chick and a slow feathering male (cockerel) chick. You have to examine the feathers on the wings of the newly hatched chick. Wait until the down dries and examine the wing feathers.

http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm


The table below contains some of the birds that can be crossed to produce chicks that can be feather sexed.

Any of the males in the table, can be crossed with any of the females in the table to produce offspring that can be feather sexed. If you purchased your birds from a hatchery, check with the hatchery to see if the hatchery feather sexed the birds you purchased. If your stock was feather sexed, then the chickens cannot be used for feather sexing crosses.

Thanks for all this info, I was actually trying to read up on how to create sex linked chicks too since I was curious.. By the way, the bottom link doesn't seem to be working