anyone working on a white-egg laying Easter Egger? (or other white-layer cross)

[2ndTink]

Thanks. I just googled them. Unfortunately, they are not what I'm looking for They lay a cream egg, are crested and feather legged, and flighty and nervous according to the Meyers website.

Are you setup to where you could try some different crosses to see if you can develop a line exactly like you are looking for?

 

[Tahai]

I think Ancona lay white eggs too?

I think these might do if nothing else were available. They are supposedly OK in winter, but not great. Also, it appears they are nervous, flighty, and not suited to confinement in a run.

 

[Tahai]

Are you setup to where you could try some different crosses to see if you can develop a line exactly like you are looking for?

Sadly, I am not. I can only house 12 hens max. A breeding program is outside of my current scope.

 

[ShaunJ421]

I actually have a white egg laying Easter Egger.

I bought all my chickens at the same time as day-old chicks from Meyers Hatchery. I ordered 2 Frizzled Easter Eggers. 1 of the 2 failed to thrive and passed away at 6 weeks. The 1 that did make it has all white feathers and is all Frizzled.

I was expecting green eggs. I was shocked when I watched her lay an all white egg. She's my only white egg layer out of 14 hens. And because she's an Easter Egger from a hatchery, there's no way of knowing the genetics. But she looks like a Frizzled Leghorn.

 

[2ndTink]

Sadly, I am not. I can only house 12 hens max. A breeding program is outside of my current scope.

Well darn, I was looking forward to following you along on a journey to make a white egg laying EE.

 

[TexasBlues]

Maybe a Hamburg or rose combed Ancona. They’ve got big wattles though. I can’t help with the beard and muffs. I think most cold tolerant chickens are brown layers right? Like buckeyes and chanteclers, delawares, New Hampshires etc.
What about the Icelandic breed?

 

[2ndTink]

I actually have a white egg laying Easter Egger.

I bought all my chickens at the same time as day-old chicks from Meyers Hatchery. I ordered 2 Frizzled Easter Eggers. 1 of the 2 failed to thrive and passed away at 6 weeks. The 1 that did make it has all white feathers and is all Frizzled.

I was expecting green eggs. I was shocked when I watched her lay an all white egg. She's my only white egg layer out of 14 hens. And because she's an Easter Egger from a hatchery, there's no way of knowing the genetics. But she looks like a Frizzled Leghorn.

That's cool!

 

[TexasBlues]

Never mind, It looks like the Icelandic are a crested breed. I’m not really a fan of crests myself.

 

[NatJ]

Maybe a Hamburg or rose combed Ancona. They’ve got big wattles though.

Some Leghorns have rose combs too (but the same big wattle problem.)

I can’t help with the beard and muffs. I think most cold tolerant chickens are brown layers right? Like buckeyes and chanteclers, delawares, New Hampshires etc.

I think you are right about that. The ones best known for being cold tolerant do seem to be brown-egg breeds.

 

[DarJones]

Most Ameraucana chickens are relatively light weight. A cold tolerant breed generally runs between 7 and 10 pounds. Pea comb, rose comb, cushion comb, and flat rose comb are common on cold tolerant chickens. Yellow legs are an important trait for cold tolerant chickens. White eggs are mostly from Mediterranean breeds.

Putting this together, you could cross a Chantecler with an Ancona and then cross with Ameraucana to get the beards and muffs look in a white egg layer. It would take about 10 years of significant work to stabilize all the traits. You would be working with chromosome 1 for comb type, chromosome 15 for muffs, chromosomes 7 and 10 for comb and size, and W/Z for feather type. It would not be hard to do, just time consuming.