Blue Egg Layers from University of Arkansas

[nicalandia]

How about calling them Easter Eggers?

If they are a mix of Araucana and White Leghorn, simply put, they're just EEs.

How about NO?

 

[Goose and Fig]

Easter Eggers do not breed true. These breed true. They are Blue as in the Blue Andalusian with a white sport occasionally. They are about as far away from being an Easter Egger as your Orpingtons are at being from a hatchery. There is a difference between a mix breed chicken and a scientific development of a new breed that breeds true.

You can get easter eggers to breed true. I have for a few years without even trying. And blue "as in blue andalusian" throws blacks and splashes. It does not give all blues.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

I have never seen an Easter Egger breed true. Their colors are all over the spectrum. Araucana and Ameraucana breed true. With Blue they must breed true 50% of the time. These will breed true 50%+ of the time. They meet the criteria of the APA to be called a breed. Easter Eggers do not meet that criteria.

In any case, this thread is not for discussing Easter Eggers. It is for the sole discussion of the Blue Egg Layers from University of Arkansas.

 

[Goose and Fig]

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

i am hoping to get to talk to DR Bramwell tomorrow and if so ill ask about these some more...

 

[mschlumb]

Hi, I am a student of Dr. Bramwell, and I have been around these birds some. I believe that these birds are strictly a utility backyard type of bird that lays a blue egg. They were originally created by a friend of Dr. Bramwell's as just a side project for the fun of it, rather than developed for commercial use or a new exhibition breed. There was no set goal for type, weight, color, ect. during the creation of the breed and there was no set breeding goals while at the University of Arkansas. I beleive that there is no need for this breed to become recognized by the APA. I do not feel that in the hands of these hatcheries that the quality will decline, since there was and is no propsed standard type, color, weight, ect. There is no quality to be lost in these birds as far as type. If someone likes the looks of these birds it is certainly OK for them to raise these and use them as a backyard layer flock. In my opinion these birds should be used as utility birds only, not as exhibition birds

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

i like the idea of these birds because they are the 1st (that i know of) commercial type blue egg layer... the only reason i see to try to get them in the APA is to preserve them if not i doubt they will be around for more than a few years... and i don't think there where very many breeds that where intended to be included in the APA from the start... most where bred for utility and then years later where excepted into the APA...

 

[jeremy]

Hi, I am a student of Dr. Bramwell, and I have been around these birds some. I believe that these birds are strictly a utility backyard type of bird that lays a blue egg. They were originally created by a friend of Dr. Bramwell's as just a side project for the fun of it, rather than developed for commercial use or a new exhibition breed. There was no set goal for type, weight, color, ect. during the creation of the breed and there was no set breeding goals while at the University of Arkansas. I beleive that there is no need for this breed to become recognized by the APA. I do not feel that in the hands of these hatcheries that the quality will decline, since there was and is no propsed standard type, color, weight, ect. There is no quality to be lost in these birds as far as type. If someone likes the looks of these birds it is certainly OK for them to raise these and use them as a backyard layer flock. In my opinion these birds should be used as utility birds only, not as exhibition birds

Sounds a lot like an Easter Egger to me!

 

[jeremy]

How about NO?

Why not?

 

[jeremy]

I have never seen an Easter Egger breed true. Their colors are all over the spectrum. Araucana and Ameraucana breed true. With Blue they must breed true 50% of the time. These will breed true 50%+ of the time. They meet the criteria of the APA to be called a breed. Easter Eggers do not meet that criteria.

In any case, this thread is not for discussing Easter Eggers. It is for the sole discussion of the Blue Egg Layers from University of Arkansas.

That doesn't make it impossible though, I could easily create a line of Easter Eggers that breed true generation to generation.

Maybe by crossing a Blue Ameraucana to say... a white Leghorn?

It would not only improve production in the resulting offspring but it would be relatively easy to select for type (which is what makes a breed, right?), color, comb type, skin color, etc.

That said, I still say these are EEs. Glorified EEs, but EEs nonetheless. There's nothing wrong with that either.

Just my opinion.