Best breed for eggs? Whats your opinion

[jamband]

Quote:
i dont want to be dependent on a hatchery for my chickens. I want birds that will make little birds just likee themselves

You said you want, " birds that will make little birds just like themselves" then you don't want Easter Eggers. A breed you asked about in your post.

Chris

I thought easter eggers were basically Ameracauna or Aracauna that did not meet a strict standard?? is that not correct? and if so why would they not produce themselves?

Thank you

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
You said you want, " birds that will make little birds just like themselves" then you don't want Easter Eggers. A breed you asked about in your post.

Chris

I thought easter eggers were basically Ameracauna or Aracauna that did not meet a strict standard?? is that not correct? and if so why would they not produce themselves?

Thank you

Easter Eggers (EE's)
Quote:
The ABC describes what there supposed to be, but with thanks to hatcheries and some backyard "breeders" today's EE is little more than a barn yard chicken ("mutt") and may or may not possesses the blue egg gene and may or may not breed true.

Chris

 

[Illia]

Araucana (no tail, no beard, blue eggs, purebred and not from hatcheries)

Easter Egger (mutt with varying colors and body type as well as egg color; commonly from hatcheries.)

Ameraucana (much like an Easter Egger except blue legs, blue eggs, recognized colors that breed true; not from hatcheries)

The thought that all are the same is a common misinformation brought on by hatcheries themselves.

 

[sunnysongbird]

Here are some of the top layers in my opinion;
Ancona, Australorp, Rhode Island, and Star. Rhode Island reds are excellent layers and gentle, kind creatures

If you like colored eggs, Easter eggers are also great layers. good luck!

 

[jamband]

Quote:
thanks both of you, I didn tthink they were the same. Was just under the impression that the standards for those 2 breeds were very tough and a slight variation would disqualify it thus leaving an easter egger. thanks

 

[Illia]

For an Easter Egger to not be an Ameraucana, it would need an unrecognized color, lack of beard/muffs, leg color other than slate or black, sole color other than white, lack of a tail, and/or comb other than pea comb.

The color is the biggest factor, leg color being the next biggest one. (by big I mean most prominent and also most common)


Since Easter Eggers are indeed "mutts" and most are duckwing based and have yellow soles, it is hard to confuse the two if you know the traits of difference.

 

[JD4570]

Hey Organick, sorry it took so long for me to reply. For the last 17 years I've been raising production reds I have always had them turn out like their parents. I will admit that every five to six generations I'll add some from a reputable breeder to prevent any inbreeding, I try hard to keep a clean flock. In fact I just hatched out a run of sixteen, thirteen or fourteen pullets and one or two cockerels. I would also recommend Rhode Island Reds as another good candidate, I've had great results with them in the past too. PRs and Rhodies are very friendly, and as I discovered, easily spoiled.

They like checking my pockets for treats, the big babies.

Hope this helps.

 

[jamband]

JD.....I thought production reds were a NH and RIR cross though. How could a cross breed true? Thanks for the info.

 

[Illia]

Quote:
Production Reds are basically any reddish or orange colored production layer of brown eggs. They can be hatchery quality Rhode Island Reds or hatchery Rhode Island Red x New Hampshire, which aren't a breed but do breed slightly true.

 

[jamband]

thanks